Half of Hong Kong’s elderly smokers die from related diseases, says study
Study of over-65s in city reveals that 'alarming' number succumb to cancer and other illnesses, prompting call for another rise in tobacco tax
Half of Hong Kong's elderly smokers aged over 65 die from related illnesses such as lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases, a study has found.
The world's largest research project on smoking among the elderly was conducted by the University of Hong Kong and the Department of Health.
Researchers spent 11 years between 2001 and 2012 studying 65,510 elderly people aged over 65 from 18 health centres under the health department.
They found that among all elderly smokers, one in every two, were killed by smoking-related diseases. Given that there were a total of 6,235 male and female smokers in the study, about 3,117 people died because of smoking.
Lung cancer risk for the elderly was increased by 421 per cent, and 63 per cent in cardiovascular diseases, when compared with non-smokers, the study said.
The World Health Organisation has stated that tobacco kills around six million people around the world every year.
"The result is alarming and deserves our attention … if the elderly quit smoking, we found that their survival rate can be largely improved," said Professor Lam Tai-hing, chair professor of HKU's school of public health.