Medical News Today reports that smokers may actually live 10 to 12 years less compared with nonsmokers.

One of the studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that the mortality rate for men and women addicted to cigarettes continue to increase, despite medical advances. The same study also reveals that quitting smoking before 40 years old may help eliminate the risk of an untimely death.

Another study published in the same journal reveals that out of 23,839 female smokers, 251 died of heart disease while 289 died of lung cancer.

Aside from heart problems, lung disease, and lung cancer, smoking may also lead to other diseases, such as cancer of the throat, mouth, nasal cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix. Acute myeloid leukemia, stroke, and aneurysm have also been linked to smoking. Secondhand smoking may also be very dangerous, as it may lead to respiratory infection and coronary artery disease.

Quitting may be hard, but for those who wish to give up the habit, the benefits are worth the withdrawal symptoms. If you wish to quit smoking, check out the conversation at GIRLTalk and get support from other FNites with similar experiences as yours.

(Photo by s pants via Flickr Creative Commons)