Gentleman J F, Brown K S, Forbes W F
Am J Med Sci. 1978 Sep-Oct;276(2):173-83. doi: 10.1097/00000441-197809000-00004.
The effects of smoking on the mortality experience of elderly populations are considered by comparing the mortality rates for elderly smokers, ex-smokers and nonsmokers. This question arose since a recent study, using similar data, suggested that there was no health benefit for elderly cigarette smokers who discontinue cigarette smoking. Although ultimately in the latter part of the life-span, the benefit which might be gained by giving up smoking would not increase life-span significantly, the present study shows that for all of the older age groups investigated, a lower mortality from all causes of death is observed for nonsmokers and ex-smokers compared with elderly smokers. Consequently, even though no direct evidence is available, from this or other studies, as to whether it is desirable for elderly smokers to discontinue smoking, because of the general consistency of the data for the younger and older age groups, it seems probable that giving up smoking represents a health benefit for most older smokers.
通过比较老年吸烟者、戒烟者和非吸烟者的死亡率，来考量吸烟对老年人群死亡情况的影响。提出这个问题是因为最近一项使用类似数据的研究表明，戒烟对老年吸烟者没有健康益处。虽然最终在寿命后期，戒烟可能获得的益处不会显著延长寿命，但本研究表明，在所调查的所有老年年龄组中，与老年吸烟者相比，非吸烟者和戒烟者的全因死亡率更低。因此，尽管从本研究或其他研究中没有直接证据表明老年吸烟者是否应该戒烟，但由于年轻和老年年龄组数据的总体一致性，戒烟似乎对大多数老年吸烟者来说是有益健康的。
