Benefits of smoking cessation for longevity.

OBJECTIVES This study determined the life extension obtained from stopping smoking at various ages. METHODS We estimated the relation between smoking and mortality among 877,243 respondents to the Cancer Prevention Study II. These estimates were applied to the 1990 US census population to examine the longevity benefits of smoking cessation. RESULTS Life expectancy among smokers who quit at age 35 exceeded that of continuing smokers by 6.9 to 8.5 years for men and 6.1 to 7.7 years for women. Smokers who quit at younger ages realized greater life extensions. However, even those who quit much later in life gained some benefits: among smokers who quit at age 65 years, men gained 1.4 to 2.0 years of life, and women gained 2.7 to 3.7 years. CONCLUSIONS Stopping smoking as early as possible is important, but cessation at any age provides meaningful life extensions.

[1]  Richard Doll,et al.  Mortality in relation to smoking: 22 years' observations on female British doctors. , 1980, British medical journal.

[2]  M. Thun,et al.  Epidemiological research at the American Cancer Society. , 2000, Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology.

[3]  Richard Doll,et al.  Smoking, smoking cessation, and lung cancer in the UK since 1950: combination of national statistics with two case-control studies , 2000, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[4]  J. Mackenbach,et al.  Smoking and the compression of morbidity , 2000, Journal of epidemiology and community health.

[5]  P. Courant,et al.  Has smoking cessation ceased? Expected trends in the prevalence of smoking in the United States. , 1998, American journal of epidemiology.

[6]  M. Thun,et al.  Changes in mortality from smoking in two American Cancer Society prospective studies since 1959. , 1997, Preventive medicine.

[7]  M. Thun,et al.  Excess mortality among cigarette smokers: changes in a 20-year interval. , 1995, American journal of public health.

[8]  R Doll,et al.  Mortality in relation to smoking: 40 years' observations on male British doctors , 1994, BMJ.

[9]  R. Doll,et al.  Mortality in relation to consumption of alcohol: 13 years' observations on male British doctors , 1994, BMJ.

[10]  J. E. Lincoln,et al.  Actual causes of death in the United States. , 1994, JAMA.

[11]  McGinnis Jm,et al.  Actual causes of death in the United States. , 1993 .

[12]  E. Calle,et al.  Utility of the National Death Index for ascertainment of mortality among cancer prevention study II participants. , 1993, American journal of epidemiology.

[13]  B. Rosner,et al.  Predictors of smoking relapse among self-quitters: a report from the Normative Aging Study. , 1992, Addictive behaviors.

[14]  J. Samet.  Health benefits of smoking cessation. , 1991, Clinics in chest medicine.

[15]  L. Goldman,et al.  Expected Gains in Life Expectancy From Various Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factor Modifications , 1991, Circulation.

[16]  R. Heidel,et al.  Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. , 1989 .

[17]  L. Gunning-Schepers,et al.  The health benefits of prevention: a simulation approach. , 1988, Health policy.

[18]  L. Goldman,et al.  Forecasting coronary heart disease incidence, mortality, and cost: the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model. , 1987, American journal of public health.

[19]  L. Garfinkel,et al.  Smoking habits and tar levels in a new American Cancer Society prospective study of 1.2 million men and women. , 1986, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[20]  L. Garfinkel.  Selection, follow-up, and analysis in the American Cancer Society prospective studies. , 1985, National Cancer Institute monograph.

[21]  T. Dawber.  The Framingham Study: The Epidemiology of Atherosclerotic Disease , 1980 .

[22]  R. Doll,et al.  Mortality in relation to smoking: 22 years' observations on female British doctors. , 1980, British medical journal.

[23]  M. Wolfson,et al.  POHEM--a framework for understanding and modelling the health of human populations. , 1994, World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales.

[24]  G. Boyd,et al.  Predictors of quitting smoking: the NHANES I followup experience. , 1990, Journal of clinical epidemiology.

[25]  Education Welfare.,et al.  Smoking and Health. Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service. , 1964 .