Smoking could Shorten Men's Lives 10 to 15 Years

A study carried out in the United Kingdom revealed that the life expectancy for men could be reduced by 10 to 15 years after the age of 50 due to smoking.

The British Medical Journal carried out a study over a time period of 38 years in the United Kingdom which examined the health of 19,000 men aged 40 to 69. They were examined between 1967 to 1970. After tracing the history of the men, the survey revealed that smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol reducednthe life expectancy of men by 10 to 15 years after they reached the age of 50. The research was published on the BMJ's website on Friday.

The researchers from the University of Oxford in England were focussing on smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol due tonthe fact that they are the main cardiovascular risk factors. Dr. Robert Clarke from the university said: "We've shown that men at age 50 who smoke, have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels can expectnto survive to 74 years of age, while those who have none of these risknfactors can expect to live until 83. It is precisely this kind of very prolonged follow-up study that is necessary to get these results - that modest differences in heart risk factors can accurately predict significant differences in life expectancy."