On Double Ninth Festival yesterday, the National Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said elderly people who habitually smoke tobacco have an increased risk of developing cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as death from heart diseases and other causes, compared with those who do not smoke.
Citing a WHO factsheet issued in July, the HPA said tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
Older people are more likely to be taking multiple medications for chronic diseases, and studies have suggested that some chemicals in tobacco smoke may interact with certain medications, which could cause a worsening of health conditions, it said.
Photo: Liu Pin-chuan, Taipei Times
Citing other studies, the HPA said elderly people who habitually smoke tobacco have a 60 percent increase in the risk of death from heart diseases and an 83 percent increase in mortality risk, compared with those who do not smoke.
The studies also suggest that the risks of developing cancer and cancer mortality in elderly people who smoke tobacco are increased by 1.4 times and 2.2 times respectively, while the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is increased by 1.6 times, compared with elderly people who do not smoke, it said.
The HPA said that compared with young people, elderly people’s health improvements may be slower after they quit smoking, but it is still the most effective way to reduce the risk of smoking-related illnesses and improve overall health, and that even a 60-year-old smoker could increase life expectancy by 30 percent if they quit smoking.
Therefore, it urged family members of elderly smokers to encourage them to quit smoking for better health, and often accompany them and show them support during the quitting process, as some studies have also suggested that loneliness is a psychosocial aspect related to tobacco use, which hinders smoking cessation in elderly people.
The HPA shared a case of a 78-year-old man who had used the administration’s toll-free smoking cessation consultation hotline (0800-636-363) and successfully quit his chronic smoking habit.
The 78-year-old man, surnamed Hsu (許), said he began smoking while doing his compulsory military service more than 50 years ago, but in July last year, one day he suddenly fell ill after eating breakfast and went to see a doctor, and was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome.
The doctor also urged him to quit smoking to save his lungs. After his near-death experience, Hsu said he called the HPA’s smoking cessation consultation hotline and told the consultant about his failed attempts and difficulties to quit smoking, and this time he successfully quit smoking after about six months.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
RSS