Smoking Cessation Research

New research indicates that people who stop smoking for a year show a reduced decline in lung function. This is one of the first pieces of evidence that shows that lung functioning can be affected by intermittent smoking cessation. Previously it was assumed that only complete cessation would result in this same result.

Researchers in Finland studied more than 1,000 people who fit into four groups. The first group was those who had never smoked. The second was those who had totally quit. The third was those who quit intermittently. The final group was those who did not stop. Results indicated that the first three groups had better lung functioning and less decline in function than those in the fourth group.

The study also indicated that each of the first three groups had significantly lower mortality rates than the group that was still smoking. The results of a thirty year follow-up study indicate, "that the beneficial effect of smoking cessation on mortality may partly be mediated through a reduced decline in pulmonary lung function. Thus, too much emphasis cannot be given for smoking cessation."

These results are particularly encouraging for those who have trouble permanently ceasing the nicotine habit. For many people, multiple attempts are needed to stop, and now there is evidence that for those people, benefits exist even if they are not able to completely kick the habit.

Another study recently released indicates that smokers who use nicotine to help deal with stress and anger actually have a harder time quitting than those who don't. Researchers at University of California - Irvine, indicate that, "Anger and negative affect may trigger smoking in some people, a process that may explain the higher relapse rates following smoking cessation that have been reported for high-hostile rather than low-hostile and for depressed rather than non-depressed individuals." It is suggested for these people that smoking cessation should be accompanied in appropriate anger or stress reduction programs to help them make it through the tough times that smoking cessation entail.

For those who are able to kick the habit, there appears to be almost immediate benefits in some areas, however. A study in Sweeden indicates that those who stop smoking show a significant reduction in heart disease risk factors. These studies, combined with an understanding of why it is harder for some people to stop than others, help us to gain a much better understanding of the benefits of cessation as well as the problems that are found when we try to quit. This in turn, could lead to not only a healthier lifestyle, but a better understanding of the way we deal with the everyday stresses and strains of life.

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