Women Who Stop Smoking Fare Better Than Men

It is no secret that individuals see an improvement in lung function after quitting smoking. New analysis from the Lung Health Study (LSH), however, indicates that the benefits to the lungs are greater in women than in men.

The LSH followed >5300 middle-aged smokers with mild or moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 5 years. After sustained smoking cessation (1 year), women?s lung function was 2 times greater, compared with men. In those who quit, improved lung function remained greater for women than for men throughout the study, although the gap between the genders narrowed over time.