Quitting Smoking: It's Never Too Late

It probably comes as no surprise, but smoking is very unhealthy! In fact, smoking is the single factor that has by far the greatest negative impact on the health of Danes.

Risk factors associated with smoking

Smoking increases the risk of a wide range of diseases, including COPD, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. In addition, smoking increases the risk of anxiety and depression, and every year more than 13,000 Danes die prematurely as a result of smoking.

It's never too late to quit smoking

But what happens if you quit smoking? And how long does it take for the risk to decrease—and does it ever decrease?

Of course, it’s never too late to quit—no matter how much or how long you’ve smoked, there are significant health benefits to be gained by giving up cigarettes. Your fitness improves, your blood flows more freely, and your risk of the aforementioned diseases decreases.

The Danish Cancer Society has compiled the following list of the physical benefits that can be experienced after quitting smoking:

Time after quitting smoking – Physical benefits

• 20 minutes – Blood pressure and heart rate drop
• 12 hours – Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal
• 2–12 weeks – Circulation and lung function improve
• 1–9 months – Less shortness of breath and coughing
• 1 year – The risk of blood clots in the heart is cut in half
• Ages 5–15 – The risk of stroke has decreased to the same level as that of people who have never smoked
• 10 years – The risk of lung cancer is cut in half. There is also a lower risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas
• 15 years – The risk of blood clots in the heart has decreased to the same level as for people who have never smoked

Source: https://www.cancer.dk/forebyg-kraeft/tobak-og-nikotin/rygestop-og-nikotinstop/fysiske-gevinster-roegfri/

So there are many benefits to quitting smoking, no matter when you put out that last cigarette. In addition, many people find that food tastes better, their sense of smell improves, they cough less, they sleep better, and much, much more.

A recent study also shows that the risk of complications from tobacco smoking decreases significantly after many years, and that the risk factors can almost disappear entirely.

The study compares current smokers with people who quit smoking 10 or more years ago. The study shows that the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease had fallen by 64 percent, the risk of cancer had fallen by 53 percent, and the risk of dying from respiratory diseases had fallen by 57 percent compared to current smokers.

Get ready to quit smoking

If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, it might be a good idea to try to prepare yourself. You can find a lot of useful information on this topic at the Danish Cancer Society, or contact the Quitline. One way to strengthen your resolve to quit smoking is to set a firm quit date.

This could, for example, be in connection with a health check-up at Acture; such a check-up may include, among other things, a measurement of your current lung function, and you can receive advice and guidance on how to stay smoke-free.

Did you know that at Acture, we offer smoking and nicotine cessation programs for companies that want to encourage their employees to quit smoking? Click the link below to learn more.

Smoking Cessation Course for Businesses