Even smokers over the age of 80 can still benefit from quitting, suggests a new analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany have found that it s not just young smokers who can reduce their risk of mortality by quitting; the risk of death drops significantly when older adults stop smoking, too.
In a meta-analysis of 17 studies that examined all-cause mortality in smokers and included men and women aged 60 and older, the researchers found that, even in old age, the risks of smoking are still high: Smokers risk of death from any cause was much higher than that of those who had never smoked. Smokers who quit, however even if they quit at an older age had a lower risk of death than those who continued smoking. For example, smokers 80 or older who quit had a 24 percent reduction in mortality risk compared to those who were still smoking at that age.
Many older folks think Eh, why should I quit smoking now? I m too old, says ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross. But this study just goes to show that quitting smoking at any time of life is beneficial and can both reduce your risk of debilitating disease and extend your lifespan.