15 years to 'repair' smoking damage

Smoking is so harmful to the body, that after someone gives up it takes at least 15 years to repair the damage, according to a study.

An analysis of more than 20,000 subjects in the U.S. showed that those who had quit smoking had to wait, on average, for that length of time before their likelihood of contracting smoking-related diseases returned to normal. Smokers who quit before they were 35 had the best chance of regaining their health.

But experts found that even quitting at 65 or older still extended the length and quality of a person's life.

Scientists at Duke University in North Carolina said that smokers who give up can avoid the debilitating effects of smoking-related diseases and maintain a high quality of life into middle-age and beyond.

Professor Truls Ostbye said: 'It takes a long time before the risk of former smokers returns to normal.

'But from a health promotion perspective, it is very encouraging that, among those who quit smoking more than 15 years ago, the risk is about the same as that of those who have never smoked.'

Co-researcher Dr Donald Taylor said: 'The message is that it's better to quit now than later. The result is a longer, healthier life.'

The findings - published in the journal Health Services Research - come as the debate on public smoking hots up, with Tony Blair signalling that smoking could soon be banned in pubs, restaurants and the workplace.

Close to a million years of healthy life are lost per year among UK men and women aged 50 to 84, because of smoking.

Research has shown that lifelong smokers lose up to 14 years of life on average.