Women’s heart risks decrease quickly after quitting smoking

There’s good news for women who want to quit smoking. According to a new study published in JAMA, within just five years of giving up smoking entirely, womens’ risk of death from heart disease or stroke starts to decrease significantly. In fact, after five smoke-free years, women reach 61% of their full potential to reduce risk of death from heart disease, and 42% of the full potential benefit in protecting against death from stroke.

For the study, researchers assessed the smoking habits of, and cause of death for, 12,483 women. They found that 64% of the deaths in actively smoking women were directly connected to cigarette smoking compared to only 28% of the deaths in former smokers.

The researchers also found that the risk of death from heart disease or stroke reduced much faster than that from lung disease or cancer. However, they concluded that women who have been smoke-free for 20 years reduced their risk of dying from lung disease to the same level as those in women who have never smoked.

"This study reaffirms the critical role that quitting smoking can play in reducing the risks of smoking in women. Most of the excess risk of smoking is eliminated in the first few months and years after someone stops, so it's never too late to gain the benefits of quitting,” says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Bob Reid. “That’s why programs and treatments to help people quit are extremely important from a public health standpoint."

Learn more about smoking, heart disease and stroke.

Read the Heart and Stroke Foundation position statement on Becoming and Remaining Smoke-Free.

Check out www.gosmokefree.ca Health Canadas Go Smoke Free! web site and 1-800-O-Canada phone line for support resources, tips and tools to help you become smoke-free.

Posted May 20, 2008

Source: Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Rosner BA, et al. Smoking and smoking cessation in relation to mortality in women. JAMA, May 7, 2008. Vol 299, No. 17.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided for reference and education only. This Web article is not intended to be a substitute for a physician’s advice, diagnosis or treatment. The contents do not necessarily represent the Foundation’s opinion or policies and the Heart and Stroke Foundation assumes no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or omission of information or from the use of any information or advice in this article.