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Quitting Pays — Even for Longtime Smokers
Old habits are hard to break, but
ending an addiction to smoking is
worth the effort.
"Tobacco is the greatest preventable
cause of disease and early death among
Americans," says Eric Costanzo, D.O., a
pulmonologist at Jersey Shore University
Medical Center. "Quitting isn't easy, but it's
one of the smartest changes that people can
make for their health."
Reap the Rewards
The health benefits of quitting begin
soon after you stop using tobacco. "Your
lungs become stronger, your circulation
improves, and you feel less fatigued," Dr.
Costanzo points out. "Even if you or a
loved one already has lung disease, quitting
can help."
A study in the Annals of Internal
Medicine found that quitting improved
the survival rate in people with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, a long-term
disease that's caused by smoking. During a 14-year period, their death rates were 46
percent lower than those of people who
still smoked.
In addition, stopping smoking can
lengthen your life. A 50-year study of more
than 34,000 male doctors found that quitting
by age 40 can add about nine years to
a man's life. Quitting by age 50 adds about
six years to his life expectancy.
How to Stop Smoking
More than 70 percent of smokers want
to quit. Research shows most people who
smoke didn't plan on becoming smokers,
and they want to stop.
If you are one of them, Dr. Costanzo
suggests these strategies:
- Set a quit date, and ask your family and
friends for their support.
- Once you quit, use nicotine replacement
therapy or prescription medicine
to boost your chances of success.
"Withdrawal is usually at its worst within
one to three weeks after quitting," says
Dr. Costanzo.
- Avoid people and places that make you
crave cigarettes.
- Talk with your doctor for more
suggestions to help you stick with your
healthier lifestyle.
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Cigarette smoking causes nearly
nine out of 10 lung cancer
deaths. "Doctors are studying
certain tests to see if they could
screen for early signs of lung
cancer, before a patient has
symptoms," says Eric Costanzo,
D.O., a pulmonologist at Jersey
Shore. "Detailed, threedimensional
X-rays called
spiral computed tomography
(CT) scans may help."
One study in the New
England Journal of Medicine
found that annual spiral CT
scans helped people with a
history of smoking and other
risk factors catch cancer at
the early, more curable stages.
The study estimates that these
yearly tests could prevent 80
percent of lung cancer deaths.
"Despite advancements in
imaging, results can be misleading
with lesions smaller than
1 centimeter," cautions Dr.
Costanzo. "Scars on the lungs
from smoking can look like cancer
on CT scans even when they
are not. When a scan reveals
an abnormal finding, follow-up
imaging is recommended."
Doctors also can check for
early lung cancer with
regular chest X-rays and by
testing mucus in the lungs
for cancer cells.
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