Resolution No. 1: Really Quit Smoking
Smokers with a family history of stroke may be at higher risk of having one themselves
As if you need to add to the long list of reasons to stub out your smokes for good, new research published online today in the journal Neurology suggests a family history of stroke makes smokers six times more likely to also suffer a stroke. The specific type of aneurysm, called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, is fatal in approximately 35 to 40 percent of cases.
Sounds plenty unappealing, but a nicotine addiction can be as enslaving as heroin. Recent reporting by U.S. News found that going cold turkey—while the most common approach wannabe quitters attempt—is almost always doomed to fail. Smokers who successfully quit tend to recruit multiple resources—and sometimes more than one resource at a time—experts say. From support groups to online smoking cessation help to prescription medications and hypnotism, drawing on a range of options to become a former smoker seems to your best bet.
Occasional smokers are not free of potential damage. A lighter habit—even one that burns through less than a pack a week—can inflict early cardiovascular disease on otherwise healthy young adults.
So, dig deep this New Year. Here's some further reading to pump up your desire to ditch that nasty habit for good:
- 12 Reasons to Really Quit Smoking
- Stop Smoking: Secrets of Successful Quitters
- Tips to Help You Quit Smoking Without Weight Gain
- Smoking, Like Obesity, Is Socially Contagious
- Smoking Tied to Memory Loss in Middle Age
- 10 Smokiest Cities—and 10 Most Smoke-Free, too
- For Smokers Trying to Quit, New Website Is a Boon
- Occasional Smoking Still Does Damage
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