Smoking cessation protects against COPD in an elderly population

Background: This study hypothesized that smoking cessation, among elderly population, has positive health effects with respect to risks of coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To test this hypothesis, current smokers were compared with former smokers. Methods: In this research, 719 elderly current smokers and 349 elderly former smokers were evaluated. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce confounding bias between the groups. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was performed on matched data to evaluate disease risks. Results: A total of 277 pairs of current and former smokers were matched. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that, relative to current smokers, former smokers had lower risks of CAD (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.68-1.38), diabetes (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.57 1.26), and COPD (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.30-0.69). However, only the difference for COPD was significant. Conclusion: Smoking cessation may have protective effects against COPD, among elderly people, and this study's findings demonstrate the importance of implementing smoking prevention programs to educate the elderly.