Smokers die ten years early

1 May 2015

Up to two-thirds of deaths in current smokers can be attributed to smoking, Australian research shows 

The large prospective study of 204,953 individuals participating in the 45 and Up study found that compared to never-smokers, smokers were almost three times more likely to die.

Risk increased with increasing smoking intensity, with around two- and four-fold increases in mortality in current smokers of ≤14 (mean 10/day) and ≥25 cigarettes/day, respectively, compared to never-smokers, said the researchers led by Emily Banks from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.

On average, smokers died around 10 years earlier than non-smokers, over the ages examined.

Among past smokers, mortality diminished gradually with increasing time since cessation and did not differ significantly from never-smokers in those quitting prior to age 45.

The findings are virtually identical to those on the contemporary risks of smoking from the UK and US, the researchers said.

The study provides evidence on the effects of heavy and prolonged smoking in a setting where the prevalence of smoking is now low at 13%, they wrote in BMC Medicine.

 

 

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