A new study concludes that weight
gain due to stop smoking will not negate the quit smoking benefits gained by
the heart.
The study examined data obtained
from 3,251 adult participants. On an average, the participants were 48 years
old and did not exhibit any symptom of cardiovascular diseases at the beginning
of the study. During the course of the study, it was seen that those who had
stopped smoking, gained an average weight of six pounds in the four years after
smoking cessation. It was also observed that the participants, who didn’t
smoke, gained an average of three-pound weight in the same four years.
A periodic physical assessment of
the participants was also carried out and this showed that 631 cases of cardiovascular
ailments had evolved within a period of 25-years. However, it was also observed
that during that period, the percentage of people addicted to smoking, was
reduced from 31 to 13 percent.
The study led to the conclusion
that in comparison to the people who continued to smoke cigarettes, those who
stopped smoking were able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular ailments.
However, the study also revealed that the people, who quit smoking, were able
to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, irrespective of the amount of
weight gained by them.
The study was published in the
13th March issue of the “Journal of the American Medical Association.”
Source: washingtonpost.com, Date: 26th March 2013
