If you’re older, you may wonder if it’s too late to quit smoking. Or you may ask yourself if it’s even possible to quit at your age, especially if you’ve tried more than once and haven’t been successful. Although it can be challenging, you CAN be successful.
Quitting has benefits at all ages. If you have health problems, many of your symptoms, your quality of life and your future health will start improving almost immediately if you quit now. For example, 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate drops to more normal levels. Twelve hours after quitting, the carbon-monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. Two weeks to three months after quitting, your heart-attack risk begins to drop and your lung function begins to improve. If you’ve been diagnosed with a significant health problem, quitting smoking makes it more likely the treatment will be successful and that you’ll have fewer side effects.
For more information and help in quitting smoking, call the American Cancer Society toll-free at 1-800-227-2345.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, November 2015
—Sources: National Institutes of Health; American Cancer Society
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