Just one cigarette can shorten a smoker's life, taking away more time than previously believed.

Just over a quarter of a century ago, the British Medical Journal published a study that gained worldwide attention. It stated that just one cigarette could reduce a smoker's lifespan by 11 minutes. This caught the public's interest, but now researchers have conducted a new study addressing the shortcomings of the previous one. The findings are far more disheartening: just one cigarette reduces a person's life by an astonishing 20 minutes, according to IFLScience.

One of the main issues with the first study was the sample population: it consisted solely of men, and the mortality assessment was based only on data from British researchers. Nevertheless, the results seemed intriguing, but they could not be applied on a broader scale.

The new study was conducted by a team from University College London and was based on a more extensive data set. It included more current mortality data for male doctors from the British Doctors Study, as well as data on female mortality collected from the Million Women Study. Notably, the entire data set was adjusted to account for other factors that could influence mortality, such as socio-economic status and physical activity.

The results of the study were published in the journal Addiction and indicate that smoking men, on average, lost about 10 years of their expected lifespan. Meanwhile, women lost 11 years. The researchers analyzed the data and concluded that one cigarette, on average, shortens a person's life by 20 minutes: 17 minutes for men and 22 minutes for women.

However, the authors of the study note that there are nuances in their work: the estimates are based on averages across population groups and ages. Smoking is one of the leading causes of premature death and increased disease risk; however, some smokers can indeed live long lives. Additionally, the researchers assumed that smokers smoke a consistent number of cigarettes daily throughout their lives, but in reality, not every cigarette will have the same impact on a person's body.

Still, the authors emphasize that the health risks associated with smoking are not linear, but are quite significant. In simple terms, it’s not enough to merely reduce cigarette consumption; to achieve maximum health benefits, complete cessation is required. It is worth noting that quitting smoking, according to the researchers, is beneficial at any age, but the earlier a person breaks the habit, the longer and healthier they will be.

Important! This article is based on the latest scientific and medical research and does not contradict it. The text is for informational purposes only and does not contain medical advice. For a diagnosis, be sure to consult a doctor.