Study Tracks Drop in Quitters’ Death Risk

How quickly does your risk of death fall after you quit smoking? It depends on the disease. That’s the conclusion of a new study based on data from the Nurses’ Health Study. This study tracked 100,000 women for 24 years. Women who quit smoking reduced their risk of death from heart and artery disease by half within five years. But it took 20 years for the risk of death from emphysema to return to normal. It took 30 years for lung cancer. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Reuters Health news service wrote about it May 7.