We should all know by now that smoking is harmful to you and those around you.
But, this, is surprising. Seems smoking might be worse for men than it is for women, and can cause side effects even after quitting!
Finnish researchers have just discovered that men who smoke will not only die younger but will also have a poorer quality of life than those that never smoked.
Reports showed that heavy smokers typically have the health-related issues of someone 10 years older than them.
Lead researcher Dr. Arto Y. Strandberg, from the University of Helsinki, says, “An especially large negative effect was seen for heavy smokers [more than 20 cigarettes daily], who lost about 10 years of their life expectancy, and those who survived experienced a significant decline in their quality of life.”
Their results showed that men who had never smoked lived an average of 10 years longer as well.
Dr. Strandberg added, “Especially significant differences were seen in physical functioning, general health, vitality and bodily pain. The impairment of the physical functioning score of smokers was equal to a 10-year age difference in the general population.”
And even after quitting, the quality of life continues to deteriorate.
The doctor added, “On the individual level, the bad news is that while beneficial compared to continued smoking, cessation of smoking after midlife could not fully recover the higher risk in mortality and poorer health-related quality of life seen in smokers. Smoking is not only a risk factor for future illness or death, it is present in the smokers’ everyday life. The earlier one quits, the better; the best option being not to start at all.”
Go chew some gum.
Don’t smoke and die young!
[Image via WENN.]
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