Regardless of age, quitting cigarette smoking will add years to your life
A University of Michigan study shows quitting smoking increases life expectancy at any age, particularly for older adults, with significant benefits observed for those quitting at 65 or 75.
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A recent study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health has revealed that quitting smoking can extend life expectancy, regardless of whether one quits at age 35 or 75. The research highlights that the benefits of cessation are significant for older adults, a demographic that has seen stagnant smoking rates despite declines among younger populations. The study calculated age-specific death rates based on smoking status and created life tables to illustrate life expectancy at various ages. Findings indicate that individuals who quit smoking at ages 65 and 75 can still gain years of life, with a 23.4% chance of gaining at least one year for those who quit at 65, and a 14.2% chance for those who quit at 75. Additionally, nearly 10% of those who quit at 65 gained at least eight years of life compared to those who continued smoking. The researchers aim to use these findings to encourage older smokers to quit, emphasizing that even modest gains in life expectancy are significant for this age group.
- Quitting smoking can increase life expectancy at any age, including 75.
- The study shows a notable benefit for older adults, countering the focus on younger smokers.
- Individuals quitting at 65 have a 23.4% chance of gaining at least one year of life.
- Nearly 10% of those who quit at 65 gained at least eight years compared to ongoing smokers.
- The findings aim to motivate older smokers to quit for health benefits.
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11 commentsSmoking is fun. Nicotine is great. People who say otherwise are lying. I miss smoking, but it's not something I think about a lot.
Let's put it this way. People do things because they get something out of it, and they stop when the cost is too high for the benefit they get. Saying addiction is terrible, well, it's not terrible for the person doing it. It's great.
Addiction is just a word for "behavior we don't like."
19 years later, after the birth of my last child, I finally stopped - i'd tried everything but slowly reverted back to it.
A two week intro course of champix - Varenicline - enabled me to quit it finally, and for good.
I've been stopped over 16 years now and even smelling second-hand smoke makes me feel physically sick.
Facts like these are good to see, because every little bit of incentive to help people stop smoking is needed. The trouble however is not getting people started in the first place…
The downwards trend of the percentage of people who smoke is stagnating, and recent research has shown that the way people pick up smoking is, predictably and indeed, by stepping up from vaping. The short summary is that for susceptible young teenagers vaping is cool, and then when they turn 15 or 16, vaping is too childish, and 'real' smoking is where it's at. Smoking is still 'cool', and now even 'retro-cool'. By that time they are quite addicted to nicotine, so it's either vaping, tobacco smoking, or quitting. The latter of course being really hard at that age. Big tobacco won this round.
It's not all bad of course. Smoking has been successfully banished from lots of places. This varies by country, but I for one really appreciate not having to breath smoke in public transport, offices, shops, restaurants, and bars, and not having to see parents smoke on the school grounds (thereby denormalizing smoking for children). I saw society change in that regard, and it is positive.
But I loathe the people who kept delaying acting on vapes taking over part of our youth and keeping them smoking for the foreseeable future.
I bicycle everyday, a few gym sessions a week and smoke half a pack every weekend or so.
Don’t know why but maybe I quit cold turkey as a chainsmoker.
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A study in Britain found that older adults do not benefit from moderate alcohol consumption, linking light drinking to increased cancer death risks, particularly among vulnerable populations, prompting reevaluation of guidelines.
Avoiding Sun as Dangerous as Smoking (2016)
A study of nearly 30,000 Swedish women over 20 years found that avoiding sun exposure can reduce life expectancy similarly to smoking, suggesting moderate sun exposure may be essential for health.
Smoking Rates by Country 2024
Nauru has the highest smoking rate globally at 52.1%, with significant rates in Southeast Asia and the Balkans. Tobacco use causes over 8 million deaths annually, but global rates are declining.
Rural Americans are dying younger, living less healthy lives, report reveals
A study from the University of Southern California indicates rural Americans have shorter lifespans and poorer health than urban residents, primarily due to chronic diseases, smoking, and obesity.
Implausibility of life extension in humans in the twenty-first century
A study in Nature Aging indicates that life expectancy improvements have slowed since 1990, with low chances of reaching age 100, and radical life extension unlikely without major advancements in aging research.