Lung Disease Diagnosis Spurs Smokers to Quit
HealthDay is the new name for HealthScoutNews MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDayNews) -- Being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seems to help motivate smokers to quit.
So finds a Polish study in the June issue of Chest.
The study of nearly 1,200 people found smokers were newly diagnosed with COPD who receive advice from a doctor on quitting are more likely to stop smoking or smoke less than smokers with normal lung function.
Researchers at the Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Warsaw found that 16.5 percent of smokers newly diagnosed with moderate to severe COPD who received smoking cessation counseling were still nonsmokers after a year, compared to 8.4 percent of smokers with normal lung function.
The study also identified several factors that play an important role in improving the odds of successfully kicking the habit. These include older age, lower tobacco exposure and lower lung function level.
"Successful smoking cessation attempts are determined by a smoker's motivation and readiness to quit. The diagnosis of COPD combined with a strong message from the physician strengthens the motivation and prompts the smoker to move from the stage of readiness to quit smoking to taking action," the study's lead author says in a news release.
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--Robert Preidt
SOURCE: American College of Chest Physicians, news release, June 9, 2003
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