Complete recovery takes 25 years after 8+ years of smoking

[Anchor]

Research indicates that the crucial 'golden time' for recovery after quitting smoking is 8 years.

For smokers who have smoked one pack a day for less than 8 years, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases rapidly from the moment they quit.

This is a report by medical correspondent Park Kwang-sik.

[Report]

Ahn Kyun-hung smoked for 5 years in his early 20s, and has now been smoke-free for 20 years.

He has maintained his non-smoking status, feeling his health recover immediately after quitting.

[Ahn Kyun-hung/Bucheon resident/20 years smoke-free: "I used to catch colds every season. When I got a cold, my throat would hurt a lot, but since I quit smoking, I hardly ever catch colds and I don't have severe throat pain anymore...."]

An analysis of about 5.4 million health insurance subscribers by Chungang University Gwangmyeong Hospital found that the effects of quitting smoking significantly change starting from the '8-year smoking mark' for those who smoke one pack a day.

In fact, for those who have smoked one pack a day for less than 8 years, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased rapidly to levels similar to non-smokers from the moment they quit.

On the other hand, for those who have smoked for more than 8 years, it took 25 years to recover to non-smoker levels.

This is because long-term smoking leads to accumulated inflammatory responses in the blood vessels, causing them to harden.

However, while complete recovery takes more time, the benefits of quitting smoking are clearly evident even for long-term smokers.

[Jo Jun-hwan/Professor of Cardiology, Chungang University Gwangmyeong Hospital: "The moment you quit smoking, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases by 20%. It takes 25 years to compare with those who have never smoked, but compared to those who have continued to smoke, the risk of cardiovascular disease drops significantly."]

Currently, 1 in 5 people in their 20s and 30s are smokers.

Experts emphasize that even if one starts smoking, quitting early can fully restore heart health, highlighting the importance of early cessation for young smokers.

This is KBS News, Park Kwang-sik.