Here’s a secret you may already know – quitting smoking has immediate benefits, which is why doctors are constantly pestering smokers to quit. Believe it or not, physiologic changes occur just minutes after a cigarette is extinguished – your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease and you get more circulation to your hands and feet. After 24 hours your chances of having a heart attack decrease. And the benefits continue years later – after 10 years of being smoke-free your risk of lung cancer (the number one killer cancer in America today) is half of those who continue to smoke. What’s more striking is that after 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease becomes essentially the same as someone who has never smoked in their life.
Even if you are not a smoker, chances are we all know someone who is. (I even know some doctors who smoke.) The point is whenever you hear the phrase “It’s never too late to quit,” it really is true. Which is why I urge you to remind those you care for about the benefits of quitting. However, keep in mind that quitting smoking is never easy. It may even take a few tries before it happens! Therefore, always congratulate and support those who are, or are thinking about, stopping smoking.
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.