A Canadian study has revealed that people who quit smoking experience a significant increase in their life expectancy within a few years.
The study, conducted by a research team from the University of Toronto and published in the scientific journal NEJM Evidence, found that people who quit smoking before the age of 40 can expect their life expectancy to be equal to that of people who have never smoked.
The study also confirmed that people who quit smoking at any age see their health improve to the level of those who have never smoked within 10 years, but they achieve half of the health benefits within just three years of quitting.
Researcher Prabhat Jha from the University of Toronto's School of Public Health emphasized that "quitting smoking is a powerful factor in reducing the risk of death, and smokers can reap the benefits of quitting quickly."
The study tracked the health of 1.5 million adults from four countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Norway—over a period of 15 years.
[Increased Life Expectancy] It was found that smokers aged 40 to 79 have a three times higher risk of death compared to those who have never smoked, meaning they lose an average of 12 to 13 years of life expectancy.
It was also found that quitting smoking at any age is associated with an increase in life expectancy, and that those who quit smoking for three years increase their life expectancy by six years.