Smoke Stop extends life for 80-year-olds

Smokers stop in higher age prolongs life

06/19/2012

Recent studies show that almost one in two people who smoke continuously die as a result of smoking. But if one in two smokers discontinues nicotine consumption, one of them can prevent premature complications such as stroke, heart attack or cancer. As a recent research by the German Cancer Research Center showed, this is even true for people who did not stop smoking until they were 80 years old.

Smoking is one of the top ten causes of death, according to an estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO). About 12 percent of men and six percent of women worldwide die from the immediate effects of addiction. Translated, this means that every second smoker dies prematurely from the consequences of tobacco consumption. A recent data analysis by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) showed that people over the age of 60 can benefit from an immediate stop to smoke consumption in order to significantly extend their lifetime. The amazing thing: even subjects over the age of 80 could live longer if they quit smoking in old age.

So far hardly any research on smoking cessation of older people
So far, the context of "smoking and the elderly" has hardly been explored. Therefore, "we provide a thorough review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the effects of smoking on the mortality of all causes in people 60 years and older" write the researchers of the German Cancer Research Center in their study report. "Particular attention was paid to the strength of the relationship between age, the effects of smoking cessation at older ages, and factors that could influence the specific effects of smoking in an elderly population".

A team of epidemiologists led by Professor Hermann Brenner of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg undertook a data analysis of 17 studies from the years 1987 to 2011. The data provided study participants from seven states between 863 and about 877,000 subjects and observation periods between 3 and 50 years. It showed that the relative risk of death in smokers over the age of 60 was 83 percent higher than in non-smokers. The analysis showed that the increased death rate from smoking in 60- to 69-year-old subjects was 94 percent, the risk increase in the 70- to 79-year-old 86 percent and in those over 80 years 60 percent.

While older people quit smoking, the risk of premature death compared to lifelong non-smokers was still many times higher, but also significantly lower than that of active consumers. The death rate of former smokers was therefore only 34 percent higher than permanent non-smokers. In detail, the rate for the over-60s was 54 percent, for the 70- to 79-year-old 36 percent, and for the over-80s at least 27 percent.

Also worthwhile smoking stop later
The mortality rate could even be lowered if seniors quit smoking very late. Thus, the late non-smokers were able to reduce the risk of premature death by at least 25 percent on average compared to the active smokers. This value could be achieved if the participants survived a smoking cessation of at least ten years.

In an accompanying commentary on the study results, Professor Tai Hing Lam of the University of Hong Kong sums up that the motto "One in two smokers dies of vice" applies to the higher semesters as well. Thus, the study makes a significant contribution to animate older people to quit. The social environment should also help those affected to combat the addiction. Therefore, the message of the expert: "Who helps two smokers to give up the smoke, so at least one life saved." (Sb)

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