Tue, Oct 15, 2024 page3

• Smokers older than 50 face more risks: agency

  FAMILY KEY: Smoking cessation services are more successful for older people thanks to the support they receive from their loved ones, an official said

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  By Lee I-chia

  Staff reporter

  Smoking increases the risk of liver and cardiovascular diseases in addition to dementia and vertebral fractures for people aged 50 or older, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.

  

  Actress Jill Su, second right, holds a placard along with Health Promotion Administration officials at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo courtesy of the Health Promotion Administration

  According to an HPA survey conducted in 2022, the prevalence of smoking among adults aged 50 or older was about 9.6 percent, so there are an estimated 903,000 smokers in this age group in the nation, the agency said.

  The survey showed that 26.8 percent of adults are exposed to secondhand smoking in their families, it said.

  HPA Deputy Director-General Chia Shu-li (賈淑麗) said compared with the smoking prevalence of 14 percent among all adults in the same year, there were fewer smokers aged 50 or older, but this age group should be aware of a wide range of health risks.

  Most people know that smoking increases the risk of liver cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but they might be unaware its harm to the bones and other organs, Tobacco Control Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said.

  A study showed that long-term smokers aged 65 or older have increased risk of death from liver cancer, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases by 3.02 times, 1.71 times and 1.45 times respectively, Lo said.

  Moreover, 88.7 percent of people have been diagnosed with at least one type of chronic disease and smoking negatively affects the therapeutic effects of some medicines, such as beta blockers used to treat heart attacks and high blood pressure, and benzodiazepine sedatives, she said.

  About one-sixth of older people have reported falling at least once, she said, adding that a study showed that older smokers have a 74 percent increase in the risk of vertebral fracture.

  The risk of having fractures can be higher if a person smokes more than eight packs of cigarettes a year, she added.

  In addition, older smokers are about two times more likely to have dementia than non-smoking older people, she said.

  “The good news is that the success rate of smoking cessation in people aged 50 or older is the highest,” Lo said.

  Older people who quit smoking for more than five years are less likely to have cancers, cardiovascular diseases and all types of fractures, she said.

  A domestic study suggested that the main reason the success rate in this age group is higher is because they receive more support from their families, especially if they are concerned about not letting their grandchildren be exposed to secondhand smoking, she said.

  The HPA said it encourages smokers to make use of its multi-approach cessation services, including more than 2,700 contracted healthcare facilities, where medicines to help quit smoking are free.

  They can also contact the agency’s smoking cessation consultation hotline at 0800-636-363, it said.
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