New research published in PLOS Medicine has shattered the common assumption that smoking fewer cigarettes is safer. Scientists from the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center analyzed data from 22 long-term health studies involving over 320,000 adults, revealing that even low levels of smoking significantly increase cardiovascular damage. The study found that current smokers had more than double the risk of dying from any cause compared to individuals who never smoked, while those smoking two to five cigarettes per day had double the chance of developing heart disease. The research emphasizes that quitting entirely is the only way to reverse these risks, as the health benefits of cessation take decades to fully manifest.
While the study highlights the need for early cessation rather than reduced smoking, it also acknowledges limitations, such as self-reported smoking habits and the absence of data on e-cigarettes or other tobacco products. Researchers noted that the stigma attached to smoking could lead to underreporting, particularly among women, affecting the accuracy of the findings. The authors stress that the primary public health message for current smokers should be quitting rather than simply reducing their intake. Despite these findings, the study underscores the importance of complete cessation for long-term health benefits, with former smokers seeing major improvements within 10 years and approaching the health levels of never smokers after about 20 years.
Researchers from the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center analyzed data from 22 long-term health studies involving over 320,000 adults. The findings show that smoking even a few cigarettes a day sharply raises the risk of heart disease and early death. The study also found that health risks “immediately decrease” after someone stops smoking, with major improvements seen within 10 years and continued substantial reduction over time. However, the damage takes a long time to fully fade, with some risks remaining even after 20 years of abstinence. The authors emphasize that while quitting smoking greatly reduced smoking-related health risks in the first 10 years, it may take 30 years or more for health risks among people who previously smoked to be on par with those who never smoked.
The authors also noted that the study did not include data on e-cigarettes or other tobacco products, which may be a limitation in assessing the broader impact of smoking. The study’s findings are particularly concerning in light of growing trends in pop culture that promote smoking as a ‘cool’ activity, potentially influencing Gen Z youth. Researchers warn that lower-intensity smoking is still associated with cardiovascular risk, reinforcing the need for public health campaigns that encourage complete cessation rather than moderation.