A recent study on MedicalNewsToday.com reports that women who smoke have greater risk of death from lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) as compared to female smokers 40 years ago.

The increase in risk is due to the changes of smoking behaviors in women, who have started smoking more like men in the past few decades. Dr. Michael J. Thun, recently retired vice president emeritus of the American Cancer Society (ACS), studied the behavioral trends of women with regard to this unhealthy habit.

He found that in the '60s, female smokers were 2.7 times more likely to die from lung-related diseases. By 2000 to 2010, female smokers were 25.7 times more likely to die from cancer and COLD--a frighteningly large jump from older trends. These behaviors are enough to offset medical advances that help lower death risks in the last 50 years.

The best solution? Quit smoking. Many of those who do by the age of 40 manage to avoid lung-related diseases associated with it. Kicking the habit won’t be easy, but in the long run, it’ll be worth it.

(Photo by José Fernandes Jr. via Flickr Creative Commons)