Many smokers stop smoking in middle age. But then the harmful effects of cigarettes – increased atherosclerosis and lung damage – are often already present. The result is a mortality rate that continues to rise for years. A study by the American National Cancer Institute (NCI) now shows how ex-smokers can best reduce this risk: with exercise, a normal weight and a healthy diet.
“In this cohort study of 159,937 ex-smokers (…) it was found that those who adhered best to the recommendations regarding body weight, diet, exercise and alcohol consumption compared to ex-smokers with the lowest adherence (to the recommendations; Note) had a 27 percent lower all-cause (all-cause) mortality rate. There was also an association with deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease,” Maki Inoue-Choi and co-authors published in the study wrote. at JAMA Network Open.
Healthy lifestyle extremely important
The scientific study involved a group of people with an average age of 62.6 years at the start. On average, they had stopped smoking more than ten years ago. The researchers related their risk of death over the next 18.9 years to four lifestyle factors: body mass index (BMI), diet in the “Healthy Eating Index”, physical activity and alcohol consumption. A maximum of eight points could be obtained in the categories.
It showed that ex-smokers with the healthiest lifestyles had a 27 percent lower risk of death from all causes. This was highly statistically significant. Exercising more than four hours a week reduced all-cause mortality by 17 percent. Normal weight resulted in minus 14 percent mortality, a healthy diet minus nine percent. Avoiding too much alcohol resulted in a four percent drop in mortality. Even if the study participants did not follow the recommendations “perfectly”, there were significant effects.
Greatly reduced risk of cancer and heart attack
The effects could also be proven in the prevention of death from certain diseases: the ex-smokers who behaved the most health-consciously died 28 percent less often from cardiovascular disease, and the risk of cancer decreased by 24 percent. in respiratory diseases by 30 percent.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
