People who quit smoking are no more likely to be hospitalized than people who never smoked, according to a new study funded by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR).
The study, led by investigators from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, also found that men who smoke are one third more likely to be hospitalized than nonsmokers. Middle-aged women who smoke also have higher rates of hospitalization than their nonsmoking counterparts, though the difference was not as pronounced.
The researchers estimated that if men aged 45 to 64 years snuffed out their smoking habit, hospital admissions in this group would decline by as much as 12.5%. Based on data from AHCPR's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, a 12.5% decline in hospital admissions in 1995 of men in this age group would have saved about $5.4 billion.
The new findings reaffirm the importance of smoking cessation, . . . [Full Text of this Article]
