Every 10 years of active smoking, women increase the risk of sudden death from a heart attack of other heart problems by 16%, but the threat can be eliminated after a complete abandonment of the bad habit, according to experts from the California Heart Institute in Alberta.
Having studied the information about more than 100 thousand healthy women aged 30 to 55 years who started smoking as teenagers and smoked from 1 to 14 cigarettes a day, scientists found out: even women who are in good health have twice as much chances of dying suddenly from heart disease. An even greater risk was identified in healthy women who smoked from 14 cigarettes per day.
According to researchers, the probability of sudden death increases by an average of 1.6% with each year of smoking, which is equivalent to 16% in 10 years.
Fortunately, the damage to health can be repaired, experts say, but only within 5 years from the moment the last cigarette was smoked for women without heart disease, and within 15-20 years for those who have there is.
Dr. Rupert Sandu, who led the study, said: “Based on the results that we obtained in the process of scientific work, we can firmly say that smoking is much more dangerous than previously thought. Such a serious connection between this habit and sudden death as a result of heart disease is undoubtedly an important reason to think about whether to continue to use cigarettes. On the eve of the New Year, many people will probably want to change their lives for the better by quitting smoking. Therefore, we hope that our the study will be another weighty argument in the fight against tobacco dependence. "
