Just quit smoking? You may have to wait 25 years for heart risk to return to normal, SHOCKING study finds

 

It may take far longer than many ex-smokers anticipate for their hearts to fully rebound from the impacts of smoking. According to groundbreaking new research, those who quit smoking may need to wait over two decades for their cardiovascular risk to drop to levels seen in non-smokers.

It has long been known that smoking poses a serious threat to heart health, researchers in South Korea have now pinpointed the extraordinary duration required for the heart’s recovery. They discovered that a staggering 25 years may pass before the cardiovascular system of an ex-smoker mirrors that of a lifelong non-smoker.

The study, published in JAMA, examined health data from a vast pool of participants, involving more than 100,000 ex-smokers and over 4 million individuals who had never touched a cigarette. Participants were tracked for ten years after quitting, with detailed information gathered on age, smoking history, daily cigarette count, and age at cessation.

What does the study suggests?

The link between smoking and cardiovascular risk proved to be dose-dependent. Heavy ex-smokers—those who had smoked consistently for over eight years—face nearly the same risk of a heart attack or stroke as current smokers. "Heavy ex-smokers should be considered to have a cardiovascular disease risk equivalent to that of patients who continue to smoke," the study authors warned, according to Daily Mail.

For lighter smokers, the benefits of quitting appeared much sooner, with their risk declining at a faster pace. However, for heavy ex-smokers, a steep and prolonged recovery period looms. The study’s researchers concluded that for these individuals, a full 25 years may be necessary for heart attack and stroke risks to match those of non-smokers.

Dozens of previous studies have established that smoking is directly associated with heart failure, where the heart struggles to pump blood effectively. Tobacco’s 7,000 chemicals—most notably tar and carbon monoxide—are believed to damage the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart, impairing its essential functions. Additionally, nicotine’s role in raising heart rate and blood pressure creates further strain on cardiovascular health.

Smoking also releases carbon monoxide, a harmful gas that depletes the body’s oxygen supply, compounding the risks to heart health. Each cigarette, it seems, leaves a lingering legacy, requiring years—even decades—to undo.