When Smokers Quit

What Are the Benefits Over Time?

20 minutes after quitting:
Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.

12 hours after quitting:
The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting:
Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

1 to 9 months after quitting:
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

1 year after quitting:
The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.

5 years after quitting:
Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.

10 years after quitting:
The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.

15 years after quitting:
The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's.

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