MedMinute: Smokers Who Quit Add Years To Their Life

For smokers, it's never too late to quit. A new study has found that kicking the habit can add years of life, even for older smokers. Donald Taylor, an assistant research professor in Duke University's Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, was lead author of the study.  

"We hope that by telling smokers, 'If you quit by this age, you can extend your life by this many years,' we think that's more understandable than telling someone the benefits in terms of reduction of risk, for example."

Using a national study population of a million people followed over a 10-year period, researchers were able to statistically project life expectancies for smokers who quit at various ages. They found that, even for senior citizens, quitting means living longer.

"The bottom line is that if you smoke, you should quit, and you should quit as soon as possible. It's better to quit earlier rather than later, but even a 65-year-old has substantial life-years to gain if they quit smoking."

Findings of the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging, appear in the current issue of the American Journal of Public Health. I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute.