Unfortunately, former smokers still face increased health risks

A CDC study showed a strong correlation between smoking duration and health among older smokers, with longer smoking history impairing overall health, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD), increases the risk of chronic illness.

National data showed a linear association between years of active smoking and risk of health or poor health in people who were 65 years old or older who smoked but quit, said Ellen A of the Atlanta CDC. . Dr. Kramarow reported National Health Statistics Reports..

Based on 2018 data National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) The analysis adjusted for age, gender, race, Hispanic origin, and education, and associated some adverse health effects with increased smoking hours.

• Poor or Normal Health: 17.8% (Smoking Duration ≤ 10 years), 20.3% (> 10 and <25 years), 23.4% (25 to <40 years), and 28.5% (≥ 40 years)
• COPD: 9.1%, 12.2%, 20.3%, and 32.7%
• At least 4 chronic conditions: 18.1%, 17.2%, 23.3%, and 26.1%
• Limits on social life: 8.6%, 9.1%, 10.7%, 14.2%

Kuramarow said MedPage today Although the health benefits of quitting smoking are many and well characterized, little is known about the health risks associated with past smoking among older smokers of the past.

Older Americans are more likely to smoke than younger adults, with former smokers accounting for 21% of the NHIS population in 2018 and 40% of survey participants aged 65 and older. This 40% represents almost half of the men and one-third of the 65 and older age group.

Quitting smoking has short- and long-term health benefits, including improved lung function and a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.

More than half of the former smokers aged 65 and older who participated in the 2018 NHIS reported smoking for 25 years or more, with 23.5% smoking over 40 years and 31% smoking between 25-40 years.

About 18% reported smoking for less than 10 years and 27.6% reported smoking for 10 to 25 years.

About three-quarters of older ex-smokers started smoking by the age of 20, and 93% of those who smoked for less than 10 years reported quitting more than 40 years ago.

Conversely, among older ex-smokers who smoked for more than 40 years, 37.4% reported quitting smoking within the last 5 years, and 57.3% quit smoking for more than 5 years but less than 25 years before participating in the 2018 survey. I have reported what I did.

In the analysis, older ex-smokers were divided into four smoking duration categories: less than 10 years, more than 10 years but less than 25 years, 25 years less than 40 years, more than 40 years.

Kramarow pointed out that the study had significant limitations, including the inability to control how long ago the former smokers quit. Smoking hours were set based on the answers to the questions. “How old were you when you first started smoking quite regularly?” and “How many years have you stopped smoking?”

“The time since quitting smoking may have an independent effect on older ex-smokers,” she wrote. “Because it was measured at some point, it is difficult to separate the effects of smoking years from the time since quitting because they are so highly correlated.”

It also lacked information about smoking intensity-was the former smoker a light or heavy smoker? The survey did not ask about the use of other tobacco products.

Despite the restrictions, said Klamarrow MedPage today The findings strengthen the evidence of a dose-response relationship between smoking and poor health, and clinicians who care for older patients should ask about their smoking history, she said.

“When considering the health of older people, it’s worth remembering that a significant percentage are former smokers,” she said. “Even if someone quit smoking decades ago, smoking history is probably still relevant.”