Quitting smoking helps heart attack survivors

By Jimmy Downs

Heart attack survivors who smoke before having the medical event may live longer if they quit smoking, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study led by Israeli researchers followed 1,500 heart attack survivors for a period of 13 years and found smokers can live longer even if they only cut down on cigarettes.

The researchers found that compared to the first time heart attack survivors who continued smoking, those who quit smoking were 37 percent less likely to die during the 13 year-follow-up.

Those who had never smoked were at a 43 percent lower risk of dying during the study than those who smoked before and after heart attack.

Those who had quit smoking before heart attack were 50 percent less likely to die during the study compared to those who keep smoking.