14 DAY TRIAL // Quitting smoking can prove as tricky and as divers a process as going on a diet and losing weight. It's as much a physiological as it is a mental process and it requires a great deal of willpower and determination, not to mention a permanent focus on the ultimate goal - that of leading a healthier life and considerably lowering the risk of dying from smoking-related causes. Motivation is therefore a crucial part of the quitting process. As a result, a recent study might hold some very good news for all the smokers out there and particularly to longtime smokers: the latest research indicates that within just a few years of giving up cigarettes, the risk of dying on account of smoking drops significantly.
The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association and shows that within five years of quitting smoking, the risk of death from all causes for the study participants decreased by 13%, while the risk of heart disease-related deaths fell by 47% and the risk of death as a result of a stroke fell by 27%. Furthermore, within 20 years of quitting, former smokers presented the same risk of dying as lifetime nonsmokers for most causes of death - with the exception of lung cancer. Which essentially means that it's never too late to quit smoking and to enjoy the health benefits that result from a smoke-free lifestyle.
"The most dramatic decreases in mortality were seen within the first five years for many diseases and the risk kept declining over time", researcher Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, stated in an interview with WebMD. The American Cancer Society (ACS) also clearly states that smokers who don't quit before turning 50 are twice as likely to die over the next 15 years as smokers who do quit. "People who quit smoking, regardless of their age, live longer than people who continue to smoke", warned Elizabeth Ward, Director of ACS Surveillance Research. "It is never too late to quit, but the earlier you quit, the better".