title: Reduction of risk of dying from tobacco-related diseases after quitting smoking in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this paper are to compute the risks of dying of ischemic heart disease (IHD), lung cancer (LC), stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for Italian smokers by gender, age and daily number of cigarettes smoked, and to estimate the benefit of stopping smoking in terms of risk reduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Life tables by sex and smoking status were computed for each smoking-related disease based on Italian smoking data, and risk charts with 10-year probabilities of death were computed for never, current and former smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men aged 45-49 years, current smokers, have a 8, 10, 3 and 1 in 1,000 chance of dying of IHD, LC, stroke and COPD, respectively, whereas women with the same characteristics have a 2, 6, 3 and 1 in 1,000 chance, respectively, for all smokers combined, i.e., independent of the smoking intensity. The risk reduction rates from quitting smoking are remarkable: a man who quits smoking at 45-49 years can reduce the risk of dying of IHD, LC, stroke and COPD in the next 10 years by 43%, 53%, 57% and 55%, respectively; a woman by 49%, 49%, 59% and 57%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estimates of risk reduction by quitting smoking are useful to provide a sounder scientific basis for public health messages and clinical advice.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental & Occupational Epidemiology, Cancer Prevention & Research Institute (ISPO), Florence - Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, University Hospital of Pisa, Cisanello (Pisa) - Italy.|Unit of Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italian National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.affiliation: Italian Association of Hospital Pulmonologists (AIPO) Research, Milan - Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falcone
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, University Hospital of Pisa, Cisanello (Pisa) - Italy.|Unit of Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italian National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrozzi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental & Occupational Epidemiology, Cancer Prevention & Research Institute (ISPO), Florence - Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italian National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Pisa - Italy.|Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, Italian National Research Council (IBIM-CNR), Palermo - Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viegi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Environmental & Occupational Epidemiology, Cancer Prevention & Research Institute (ISPO), Florence - Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors