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May 6, 2008 10:20 pm US/Eastern
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New Study Offers Incentives To Quit Smoking Now
The Body Has A Way Of Healing Itself
Researchers Believe The Findings Should Also Apply To Men
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
There is some encouraging news for people trying to give up cigarettes. New research shows some of the damage done by smoking can be undone within years after a person quits.
Smoking kills millions every year which is why Gretchen Harris gave up cigarettes a few weeks ago and she's determined to stick with it.
"I still feel quite tempted now," said Harris. "Everyday I have to say to myself 'no – you cannot have a cigarette'."
After years of smoking, Harris wonders what kind of damaging effects it has had on her body.
"I've had a lot of cancer in my family too, so that's really a primary concern," said Harris.
But Harris should find some comfort in a recently released study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the study, researchers found that after five years of being smoke free, women reduced their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease like heart attack or stroke by 50 percent. Plus the risk of developing a smoking related cancer dropped 20 percent.
"That's a really, really strong message," said Dr. Mary O' Sullivan of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. "That so much of what the cigarette does to both your clotting system and your vascular system is reversible."
Although the study followed women, doctors assume the same health benefits will apply to men.
"The body has a system of reconstituting itself, of healing itself, which is really very good," said Dr. O' Sullivan.
The doctor said 20 years after kicking the habit; most of the harmful effects from lighting up are gone. But first smokers have to quit and Dr. Sullivan says the best time to do that is right now.
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