Research shows that quitting smoking at any age increases life expectancy, with the greatest improvement seen in younger individuals.
The researchers analyzed the harmful effects of smoking and its expected impact on individuals aged 35 to 75 years. They created tables detailing the participants’ lives and divided them into three groups: those who had never smoked, those who currently smoked, and those who had quit at different ages.
The study estimated years lost to smoking and additional years gained by quitting.
The results showed that smokers aged 35, 45, 55, 65 and 75 lost 9.1, 8.3, 7.3, 5.9 and 4.4 years of life expectancy compared to those who had never smoked .
Similarly, individuals who quit smoking at ages 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75 years experienced increases in life expectancy of 8.0, 5.6, 3.4, 1.7, and 0.7 years, respectively, compared to those who who continued to smoke.