A major US study identifies the best age to quit smoking to avoid the risk of death

According to a major study, smokers who quit before age 35 have the same mortality rate over time as those who have never smoked. 

 Those who quit smoking later in life still saw significant benefits, but their mortality was higher than those who quit before age 35.

For example, ex-smokers who quit between the ages of 35 had a 21 percent higher all-cause mortality rate compared to people who never smoked. And those who quit between the ages of  5 and 5  had a 7 percent higher all-cause mortality rate than never-smokers. 

, "Among men and women of various races and ethnicities, current smoking was associated with at least twice the all-cause mortality compared with never smoking," the study authors wrote in a new report published Monday (Oct. 2 ) in the journal. . JAMA network open. 

 "Smoking cessation, particularly at a younger age, was associated with a significant reduction in  excess mortality relative to continued smoking." 

 This is the third large study to suggest that age 35 may be the optimal age to quit smoking, especially for those who start smoking young, said John P. Pierce, MD, professor emeritus of the Department of Family and Pub"It has long been known that the sooner a smoker quits, the better," wrote Pierce, who was not involved in the new study. "However, it is now possible to say more precisely at what age  a smoker stops." 

 Related: How Drug Addiction Hijacks the Brain 

 The new study used data from the US National Health Interview Survey, a questionnaire used to monitor public health in the US, and the National Death Index, a national death database. records 

 The analysis included survey data from more than 550,000 adults who completed questionnaires between January 1997 and December 2018 and were aged 25 to 8 years at the time of recruitment. 

 These included current smokers, ex-smokers, and so-called non-smokers, ie. people who smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Medicine. from the University of California. health, San Diego, wrote in a commentary on the study.

According to the national death rate, by the end of 2019, almost 75,000 of these individuals had died. Compared to those who had never smoked, current smokers had significantly higher total mortality and increased cancer mortality. especially heart  and lung disease. The 

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 non-Hispanic white smokers had the highest all-cause mortality rate,  three times that of non-smokers. Nonwhite smokers, including both Hispanics and non-Hispanics, had a slightly lower death rate, about twice that of nonsmokers. 

 This may be related to the fact that these participants smoked fewer cigarettes per day on average; start smoking at an older age, and smoke less daily compared to whites. 

 "These results remind us that reducing smoking  (cigarettes per day) should be one of the goals of tobacco control programs," Price wrote in a comment. 

 Importantly, while current smoking was associated with an increased risk of death in all racial and ethnic groups studied, "quitting was associated with significantly opposite risks in all groups," the study authors wrote. 

 In particular, those who quit smoking before The age of 5 reduced their excess risk of death by  90 percent, and those who quit before age 35 had a death rate very close to that of never-smokers. 

 The study also found that the longer it had been since he quit smoking, the more his death rate was that of never-smokers. 

 The 35-year age limit could potentially be an incentive for young smokers trying to quit, Price wrote in his commentary. 

 "Without a near-term goal, it's tempting for smokers to give up on a quit attempt with feelings like, 'I really don't need to do it right now.'" the goal is to quit before age 35, he wrote.  

 But, of course, all is not lost after the age of 35 – as the study shows, quitting smoking at an older age still reduces the risk of death, but not as drastically. 

 The study has some limitations. For example, data was collected on subjects' smoking habits at one point in time, so some subjects may have stopped or started smoking after the study. 

 "Thus, this study may underestimate both the true dangers of smoking and the true benefits of smoking cessation," the authors warned. 

 However, research shows that quitting smoking significa

ntly reduces the risk of premature death - especially if you do so at a young age.