World No Tobacco Day 2018- 5 Benefits Of Quitting Tobacco On Health

A substantial body of research has established that quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term health benefits for men and women of all ages, reducing risks for diseases caused by smoking and improving health in general.

Changes in disease risk following cessation can be measured in different ways. A common measure is relative risk, as in the studies cited above, where the likelihood of developing or dying of disease in a population of former smokers is compared to either current or never smokers. At a population level, relative risk represents the fraction of disease attributable to smoking. However this measure is influenced by the rates of disease in the reference population, which should be taken into account when examining the influence of cessation on disease risk. Another measure is absolute risk, where the actual rates of disease in former smokers are compared to those of current or never smokers. Rates can be directly compared, or the excess rate of disease caused by smoking in smokers can be calculated as can the excess disease rate in former smokers. Another measure is cumulative risk of disease, which enables the cumulative risk for those who quit at different ages to be compared to that of continuing smokers.

* Lung cancer

Quitting is beneficial for lung cancer risk. Quitting at age 30 reduces the risk of lung cancer by several times compared to a lifetime smoker. Even quitting at 50 more than halves the risk over the next 25 years compared to continued smoking. The absolute annual risk of developing or dying from lung cancer does not decrease, but by stopping smoking the much greater increase in risk that would result from continuing to smoke is avoided.

* Peripheral vascular disease

Quitting slows down the build-up of plaque on artery walls, so that the risk of the disease is substantially reduced. For those who already have the disease, amputations are less likely.

* Blindness

Cataract development and macular degeneration risks and progression are reduced.

* Male erectile dysfunction is reduced when smokers quit.

* Female fertility

Missed and painful periods are reduced after quitting, as is the risk of delayed conception and early menopause. The higher risk of heart disease and stroke among women smokers who use the contraceptive pill is reduced.