Researchers from Denmark and Japan have assessed the long-term effects of smoking and quitting on the risk of sudden cardiac death, reports infohub.kz.
In a large study, specialists analyzed data from more than 10,000 participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Health monitoring of volunteers continued for nearly 29 years. All participants were categorized based on their smoking history and time since quitting.
Results showed that the risk of sudden cardiac death was 88% higher in current smokers and 34% higher in former smokers compared to never-smokers. However, each year after quitting, the risk gradually decreased. Complete risk normalization to the level of never-smokers was observed in those who had abstained from nicotine for 26 to 67 years.
The authors emphasized that the risk of cardiovascular events directly depends on the cumulative dose of nicotine accumulated over a lifetime. The accumulated damage persists for a long time, but timely quitting allows for full recovery of indicators and reduces the likelihood of fatal outcomes.