Philip Morris
Smoking Cessation and Mortality Trends Among Two United States Populations
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Related Documents:- 2505586205 Untitled Document 2505586205
- 2505586206-6212 Review 1098 "Smoking Cessation and Mortality Trends Among Two United States Populations" J E Enstrom Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (990000), 52, 813-825
- 2505586226-6228 Review 1099 "An Examination of Cigarette Brand Switching to Reduce Health Risks" C K Haddock Et Al Annals of Behavioural Medicine (990000), 21, 128-134
- 2505586229-6235 An Examination of Cigarette Brand Switching to Reduce Health Risks
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816 J. E. Enstrom
TABLE 3. Observed relative risk of death (RR and 95% Cl) by decade among 1954/57 current cigarette
smokers (n = 63,159)
compared with those who never smoked regularly (n = 42,481) among U.S. veteran males for all causes
and lung cancer.
Shown for comparison is expected relative risk of death based on estimated cigarette smoking
prevalence for veterans in Ta-
ble 1, former/never ratios in Table 2, and 1954-1959 current/never ratios by age in Appendix Table
1. Percentage changes in
RRs are relative to 1954-1959 RRs. The number of deaths shown is for current and never smokers
combined
RR by decade of follow-up
Cause of death 1954-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1954-1979
All causes
Observed RR
1.65
1.72
1.51
1.61
95%CI 1.58-1.72 1.67-1.76 1.48-1.55 L.58-L,63
Numberofdeaths 10,111 30,420 35.068 75,599
Expected RR 1.65 t.53 1.13 1.39
Observed change 0.0% +4-2°U -8.5 % -2.4%
95%CI +1.2%,+6.7% -10.3%,-6.1% -4.2%,+L1°36
Expected change 0.0% -7.3% -31.5% -15.846
Lung cancer
Observed RR
10Q89
1157
10.65
11.I0
95% Cl 7.70-15.41 9S 1-14.09 8.81-12.89 9.78-12.61
Number of deaths 558 1713 1401 3672
Expecred RR 10.89 7.45 5.64 7.41
Observedchange 0.0% +61 % -2.2% r1.9°%
95%Cl -12.7%. +29.4% -19.1`ko,+18.4% -I0.2°.L.+15.8'!5
Expected change 0.0% -31.6% -48.2% -32.04;,
TAIILE4. Relative risk of death (RR and 95% Cl) from all causes by decade among 1954/57 current
cigarette smokers by
number of cigarettes per day compared with those who never smoked regularly among U.S. veteran
males. Adjusted total is a
weighted average based on the smoking distribution as of 1954-1959. The number of smokers is shown
in parentheses, and
number of deaths is shown for current and never-smokers combined
RR by decade of followup
Amount of smoking 1954-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1954-1979
Tocal (n = 63,159)
Adjusted RR L65 1.73 1.55 1.63
95%CI 158-1.72 1-63-1-7i 1.52-1.59 1.58-1.65
Number of deaths 10,111 3Q,4:0 35,068 73,599
1
i
d
= 2
814
garette/
ay (n
c
.
)
RR
1.11
1.15
1.12
1.13
95% Cl (197-1.28 LC6-1.=4 L05-L.20 L.08-1.18
NumberofJeaths 3265 1J,163 14,863 _'3,'_96
i
272)
/d
(
= 9
1
9
gare[tes
c
ay
n
,
-
RR L23 1?9 1.19 1.23
95%CI 1-14-1.33 1-21-1.35 1 14-1 24 1.'0-1?7
Numberof deaths 3850 L' .03'_ 17,035 32.917
= 29
10
20
/d
561)
ay (n
-
cigarettes
,
RR 1.63 1.66 1.51 1.59
95%CI 1.55-1.71 1.63-1.73 L47-L55 L-56-1.61
Numbcr of deaths 6332 19.19i 23,882 49,404
21-39 cwarenes/day (n = 18,090)
RR
1 93
2-C3
1.83
L92
95%Cl I.SI-2.02 1.97-2.1`9 1-78-1.89 L33-1.96
Numberofdeaths 333? 16.264 19,958 41,354
?40eigarena/day (n = 3,422)
RR
2.15
2.39
1.95
2.17
95%Ct 1.95-2.37 2.26-'-53 1.83-2.08 2.09-2.25
Numberofdeachs 3516 1C,354 14,962 29,332

824
APPENDIX TABLE 8. Relative risk of death (RR and 95% CI) by decade of follow-up and
age when enrolled during 1971-1992 among 1971-1975 current cigarette smokers com-
pared never-smokers based on proportional haards model of NHEFS males and females
for all causes of death
Age when
Number of RR by decade of follow-up
enrolled subjects 1971-1982 1983-1992 1971-1992
Males
25-74
2131
2.L5
(1.69-2.74) (330[
2.09
( 1.68-2.59) [3891
2.08
(1.77-2.44)
[719]
25-34 551 5.94 (0.76-46.46) [111 4.43 (1.0t)-19.54) [161 4.96 ( L77-2.44) [27[
35-44 383 2.11 (0.70-6.36) [191 2.13 (0.92-4.94) [32] 2.08 (1.08-4. 12) 151)
45-54 499 3.93 (L79-S.62) [64[ 2.11 (117-3.51) [881 2.57 (1.68-3.93) [l52]
55-64 373 2-05 (1.26-3.34) [831 1.89 (1.31-2.72) [1321 1,88 (1.40-2.52) [215]
65-74 321 1.90 (1.37-2.63) [153] 2.25 (1.56-3.24) [1211 2.00 (1.5 7-2.55) [274]
Females
25-74
3181
1.68
(1.29-2.19) [2711
1.94
( L.59-2.38) [4691
1.83
(156-2.15)
[740]
25-34 736 2 .19 (0.40-1 L.97) [61 1.91 (0.62-5.84) (13] 2.02 (0.80-5.15) (191
35-44 572 0.76 (0.29-1.95) [18[ 1.96 (0.90-f.29) [27] 1.34 (0.75-2.41) (45]
45-54 757 2.07 (1.10-3.93) [391 2.52 (1.61-3.96) [80J 2.41 (1.67-3.48) [119]
5i-64 574 2.06 (1.17-3.63) [491 2.23 ( 159-3.12) [14I1 2.15 (L61-L86) [190]
65-74 542 1 71 (1.16-2.5t) [159/ 1 40 (0.94-2.08) [208] 1,54 (L17-2.03) [3671
APPENDIX TABLE 9. Relative risk of death (RR and 95% CI) by decade among 1971-
1975 current cigarette smokers (1329 males and 1193 females) compared with never
smokers (802 males and 1988 females) based for all causes and lung cancer for ages
at entry
RR by decade of follow-up
1971-1982 1983-1992 1971-1992
All causes
Males(n=2131)
RR
2-15
Z.09
2-08
95% C[ L.69-2. 74 L.68-2.59 1.77-2.44
Number of deaths 330 389 719
Females (n = 3181)
RR
1-68
1-94
1-83
95% Cl I. 2 9-2 .19 1. 5 9-2 .3 8 1. 5 6-2 .15
Number of deaths 271 469 740
Both m-.des and fem:des (n = 531?)
RR
1.91
2.01
L.95
95% Cl 1.61-2.25 Lt4-2.33 1.75-2.18
Numbernf Jeaths fi0l 858 1459
Lung cancer
Males
RR
2067 .
39.39
28.71
9511% Cl L78-153.78 5-4L-294.24 6.98-118.16
Number of deaths 24 35 59
Females
RR
5.78
5.06
5.20
95% Cl 1.36-24.60 1.99-12.84 2.58-11.35
Number of dcaths 9 21 30
Both males and females
Lung cancer
10.63
10.07
10.01
95% CI 3.59-31.47 4.75-21.32 5.41-18.53
Number of dearhs 33 56 89
3. E. Enstrom

818
cohort of 3168 males and 3737 females on whom smoking
data were collected during t971-1975. We created one
master fite for this cohort of NHEFS subjects by linking to-
gether 1971-1975 interview data with follow-up interview
data from 1982-1984, 1987, and 1992, and follow-up death
data through 1992 [23]. Follow-up through 1992 has been
completed on 97% of the men and on 95% of the women,
and there were 1109 male deaths and 838 female deaths.
Follow-up of some individuals has been done through July
1993 and a few deaths occurred in 1993 and are included in
the totals shown here. These NHEFS data are on publically
available data files maintained by NCHS [231.
To determine the impact of smoking cessation, statistical
analysis using the Cox proportional ha_ards model has eval-
uated the relative risk (RR and 95% Cl) from death as a
function of initial smoking status and time period of follow-
up for the NHEFS cohort in a manner similar to that used
for the U.S. veterans cohort [l4]. The follow-up period is
from time of entry into the study ( 197 1-f 975) uncil death,
withdrawal (date last known alive) or end of follow-up
(1992-1993), a median of 19 years. The sample weights as-
sociated with the oversampling of certain NHEFS subjects
have noc been used in our analysis. Our results are limited
to deaths from lung cancer (ICD9 16'_) and all causes.
Smoking was measured directly among survivors at four dif-
ferenttimes:1971-L975,1982-1984,19S7,and 1992_
RESULTS
Data on smoking habits of cigarette smokers in NHEFS co-
hort during 1971-1975 has been compared with follow-up
smoking data from 1982-1984, 1987, and 1992 in Table 6.
J. E. Entr.>m
Of those who smoked cigarettes in 1971-1975, only 45%o of
the men and 50% of the women still smoked in 1992. Of
those aged 55-74 at entry who smoked cigarettes in 1971-
1975, only about 30% of the men and 40% of the women
still smoked in 1992. These data demonstrate the large de-
gree of smoking cessation among this cohort, especially for
those aged 55-74 at entry. These results are consistent with
other national surveys that show a similar degree of cessa-
tion among persons aged 55 years and older [t81. Also, the
four surveys in NHEFS show that there is good agreement
between smoking status reported in 1971-1975 and 1992
for never and former smokers. Of the former smokers in
1971-1975, 100% were former smokers in 1992. Of the never-
smokers in 1971-1975, 95% were never-smokers in 1992.
Table 7 shows the relative risk of death (RR and 95%
Cl) during 1971-1982, 1983-1992, and 1971-1992 for cur-
rent cigarette smokers aged 55-74 years at entry as of 1971-
1975 compared with never-smokers for dearh from all ~
causes and lung cancer. There has been no measurable
change in RR from all causes for males, femaLes. or both
genders over a 20-year period. For lung cancer, the RR in-
creased for males and remained the same for fenrales, based
on small numbers of deaths.
Table 3 shows the baseline characteristics of 1971-1975
current cigarette smokers aged 55-74 years at entry as a
function of 1982-1984 cigarette smoking status. Compared
with the 1982-1984 respondents, (current and former
smokers), the 1982-1984 nonrespondents have somewhat
poorer health status and less education and other differ- -
ences, but none of the differences are large. The 1982-1984
current and former smokers have fairly similar initial char-
acceristics [deally, it would be useful to know the trends in
TABLE 6. Cigarette smoking trends among NHEFS males and females. Percentage of cur-
rent cigarette smokers among all tlre respondents to the original 197 I-1975 questionnaire
are shown by age at entry, along vith percentage among the surviving respondents to the
follow-up questionnaires in 1982-1984, 1987, and 1992. Number of respondents are
shown in parentheses
Percentage of current smoken by year
Ageatentry 1971-1975 1982-1984 1987 1992
Males
25-35
100 (360)
79
6'_
54
35-44 l00 (25l) 76 56 47
45-54 lQ0(353) 75 53 4l
55-64 100 (229) 69 44 3Z
65-74 t00 (165) 70 47 3 1
25-74 l000358) 74 56 45
Tutal re>pondents (1358) (1109) (857) (7S0)
Females
25-35
100 (370)
S1
66
59
35-44 100(269) 81 64 50 N
45-54 100(328) 80 58 46 O
5 5-64 100080) 69 44 32 , ~
65-74 100(82) 70 47 31 ~
25-74 100(1229) 77 59 50 Go
Total respondents (1229) (998) (893) (820) N
i
cc

T
820
TABLE 8. Key 1971-1975 characteristics for NHEFS subjects who smoked cigarettes and
were aged 55-74 years as of 1971-1975 by their 1982-I984 cigarette smoking status. No
response includes five males and six females who stated they never smoked
1971-1975 characteristic
Males
Number of subjects
Race (% white)
Marital status (% married)
Education (% ? 12 years)
Height (mean in inches)
Weight (mean in pounds)
Health status (% fair/poor)
Alcohol consumption (°a never)
Recreational exercise (°o much/moderate)
Other physical acriciry' (:S very active)
Females
Number of subjects
Race (% white)
Marital status (% married)
Education (% ~ 12 cears)
Height (mean in inches)
Weight (mean in pounds)
Health status (% fair/F vr)
Alcohol consumption t', never)
Recreational exercise t°o much/moderate)
Other physical actiricy (°. very active)
California (L9,B99 male cigarette smokers and 21,137 fe-
male cigarette smokers). Over a 38-year follow-up period
(1960-1997), about 93% of the 1959 male smokers stopped
smoking, and yet the RR of the 1959 >mokers as a whole
versus never-srnokers declined by onLy 11% for all causes
(from 1.95 to 1.74) and by only 5% for lung cancer (from
12.63 to 11.96) [241. Over the 38-pear follow-up period,
1982-1984 cigarette smoking status
Current Former No response Total
124 80 185 394
81 93 78 82
81 89 75 79
41 36 31 36
69 68 67 6S
164 168 160 161
30 35 42 37
17 20 24 21
62 52 49 54
40 35 32 35
L08 63 85 262
86 90 82 86
60 57 53 53
39 46 34 39
63 62 61 62
147 l5J 140 142
32 29 35 32
23 27 34 23
47 37 45 44
32 35 28 32
J. E. Ensrrom
about 93% of the female smokers stopped smoking and yet
the RR of the smokers versus never-smokers increased by
4% for all causes (1.47 to 1.53) and by 146% for lung can-
cer (2.49 to 6.12) [241These mortality trends do not agree well with pcedictions
of disease prevention due to smoking cessation that are
based on the widely accepted results for self-selected former
TABLE 9. Cigarette smoking prevalence and lung cancer death rates during 1966-1968
and 1986 among U.S. whites aged 45-64 years as of 1966-1968 based on NMS
White males White females
Subjects 1966-1968 1986 1966-1968 1986
Percencage of current cigamtte
smokers
52
15
33
13
Percentage ot current cn_arrae
smokers relatioe to 1966-1968
L0o
29
lol'.
39
Percentage of former smokers among
those .ho ever smoked
cigaretces
31
79
19
65
Estimated lung cancer,learh rates
(annual deaths per 1 \\OCO)
and rntiu [number o( eample
deaths shownl
Total population
18.5 (7061
LL3 (2131
0-4
l50]
72.5
1251
Never smokers 18.5 127,1 70.0 [101 69 [30] 37.5 (131
Total/Never ratio 6.4 5.9 3.0 4.6

Srnoking Cesaation and Morr-,tleryTrcnds
characterisrics for all subjects since 197I-1975, but such
data are nor available. Based on the existing data, it is rea-
sonable to assume that the mortality patterns observed are
primarily related to smoking cessation, although other fac-
tors may have played some role.
DISCUSSION
This study provides valuable new evidence regarding the
long-term relationship of smoking cessation to the preven-
tion of smoking-related diseases in two U.S. populations.
First, we confirmed among the U.S. veterans cohort the
well-established decrease in relative risk of death among
self-selecred former smokers compared with never-smokers,
when classified by the number of years quit as of the start of
the study [4,10,11 [.
~, We then showed that there has been relatively little de-
cline in relative risk over time among all veterans who
smoked cigarettes at the start of the study compared with
never-smokers, in spite of a large portion of the smokers
having quit by 1979. In particular, there has been no de-
cLine in the lung cancer death rate of the cigarette smokers
relative to never-smokers, even though lung cancer is the
disease most strongly linked with cigarette smoking and is
the one that should be most impacted by cessation over a
819
long follow.up period. Our lung cancer trend for the U.Ss veterans cohort agrees with the trend
recently published us-
ing a slightly different definition of cigarette smokers [13J.
These results are supported by a national sample, the
NHEFS cohort, which also shows no decline in relative risk
of death among cigarette smokers as a whole in spite of sub-
stantial smoking cessation.
The smoking patterns among the NHEFS cohort were
measured four times, and the resultant cessation trend
agrees fairly well with the imputed cessation trend for U.S.
veterans..Both studies indicate that about 70% of current
ma[e smokers aged 55-64 quit after 20 years. Obviously, the
U.S. veterans study has the major weakness that smoking
status was not measured after initial enrollment in 1954/57.
However, several national surveys have shown that since
1955, a high degree of smoking cessation occurred in U.S.
veterans as a whole, as well as in the general population.
Thus, it is highly unlikely the veterans in the cohort have
not also experienced a similar degree of cessation. In any
case, the differences between the observed and expected
trends in relative risks in Table 3 are so large that they
would still be substantial even if cohort veterans had a
smaller degree of cessation than that estimated.
These findings are further supported by our new results
among the Cancer Prevention Study (CPS) I cohort in
TABLE 7. Relative risk of death (RR and 9i°6 CI) by decade among 1971-1975 current
cigarette smokers (390 males and 259 females) compared with never-smokers (304 males
and 857 females) based for all causes and lung cancer for ages 55-74 years at entry
All causes
Males (n = 694)
RR
95%C1
Number of deaths .
Females (n = 1 1161
RR
95 % Cl
Number of death>
&rzh males and females (n =
1810)
RR
95`*iCI
Number of dc:uh-
Lun9cancer
Male
RR
RR by decade of follow-up
1971-1982
1.9'
1.46-'-.52
'_36
L-19
1.31-2.46
'_i)9
1-56
1.i'_-2.25
444'
15.76
95% Cl 2.C6-I20.62
Numhcr uf deaths 15
Females
RR 2.92
95% Cl 0.57-15.06
Numbcrofdcaths 6 &)dr males and fem.des
Lung cancer 7.78
95% Cl 2.46-24.57
Number of.leaths 21
1983-1992 1971-1992
2.08 1.96
1.60.2.70 1.63-2.36
253 489
L82 1.79
1.42-2.34 1.47-2.17
349 557
1.93 1.88
1.62-2.31 L65-2.5
602 1046
30.23 2Z.20
4.00-228.58 5.31-92.92
23 33
6.08 4.74
2.06-17-79 1.94-1159
15 21
10.39 9.21
4.36-24.73 4.61-15.40
38 59
N
I
(D

5moking Cessation and Mortality Trends
1954-1959 RR is 1.65 (1.58-1.72) for all causes and 10.89
(7.70-15.41) for lung cancer, and these RRs are similar to
the corresponding RRs for former smokers who had quit for
<5 years. Comparing 1954-1959 with the entire follow-up
period of 1954-1979, the RR declined by only 2% (1.65 to
1.61) for all causes of death and increased by 2% (from
[0.89 to 11.10) for lung cancer. The 1954-1979 RRs repre-
sent the cumulative impact of smoking cessation on this co-
hort, as they cover all smokers for the entire follow-up pe-
riod. The results show only a slight convergence of the RR
for veterans who smoked cigarettes at enrollment compared
with veterans who never smoked regularly in spite of fact
that about two thirds of all the current cigarette smokers at
enrollment were estimated to have quit 20 years later, based
on Table 1.
Table 3 also compares the observed convergence with
e,rthe convergence that is expected based on the conven-
tional results for former smokers. The expected RRs are
based on the estimated cigarette smoking prevalence over
time for veterans in Table 1, the former/never ratios in Ta-
ble 2, and the 1954-1959 age-specific current/never ratios
(1.65 for ages 55-64, 1.57 for ages 65-7-F, and 1.19 for ages
75-84). Sample calculations of the expected RRs for 1960-
1969 and 1970-f979 are shown in Appendix Table 1. Per-
centage changes in RRs are shoN~ n relative to RRs for
1954-1959. The observed and expected changes for 1954-
1979 were -'-.4% versus - 15.8% for all causes and +1.9%
817
versus -32.0% for lung cancer. The observed RR changes
do not come close to the predicted impact of cessation.
When the RR over time is examined by number of ciga-
rettes smoked per day in 1954/57, a pattern similar to that
in Table 3 is seen in Table 4 for all causes of death and in
Table 5 for lung cancer. There is no reduction in RR at any
level of smoking, even for light smokers, who probably ex-
perienced an even higher degree of cessation than the
heavier smokers. Indeed, the adjusted RR based on the
smoking distribution at entry decreased by only 1"o for all
causes (1.6i for 1954-1959 versus 1.63 for 1954-1979) and
increased by 5% for lung cancer (from 10.9 to 11S).
1971-92 NHANES I EPIDEMIOLOGIC
FOLLOWUP STUDY
METHODS
The NHANES I Epidemiologic Followup Smdy (NHEFS)
is a prospective cohort study based on the National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1) con-
ducted by the National Center for Health Statistics INCHS)
on a representative sample of the civilian nonin,tirutional-
i=ed population of the United States aged 25-74 %ears (21-
23j. Persons estimated to be at risk of malnutrition (chil-
dren, the elderly, women of child-bearing age. and the
poor) were oversampled. The subject of this report is the
TABLE 5. Relative risk of death (RR and 95% CI) from lung cancer by decade among 1954/57 current
cigarette smokers by
number of cigarettes per day compared with those who never smoked regularly among U.S. veteran
males. Adjusted total is a
weighted average based on the smoking distribution as of 1954-1959
RR by decade of follow.up
Amount of smoking I954-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1954-1979
Total
~~ Adjusted RR
10.9
11.6
11.4
11.3
95%0 7. 7-15.4 9.9-14.1 9.4-13.8 1C 1-13.1
Numherofdearhs 553 1713 1401 3672
<t dgarettc/day
RR
3.15
4.3T
3.41
3.=5
95% Cl L=1-7.17 '_.91-6.56 2.20-5.Z9 '.>b-i.00
Number of deaths 41 136 140 317
1-9 cigarettes/dav
RR
4.-1
3.69
3.76
.
95%Cl -.: -7.14 2.77-4.93 2.83-4.99 ?.16--1.58
Numur oi dcarhs 66 13J 198 452
10-30 eigtrettrs/da~
RR
S 0:
60.-47
10.30
1..1 ;
95 % Cl 6.1 °-1'_.S0 5.54-1'-.35 8.43-12.58 ; Qi-I1.66
Number.ttdeach, _35 759 697 li2l
21-39 eigarettes/d:n
RR
lePo
17.27
17.49
l-.?t
95% CI 1 L: 3-24.39 14.05-21.2 2 14.26-21.45 1-.' 1-19.92
Numberuf,lcatlu _6i 75' 616 1628
?40 eigarettes/dac
RR
'-±.~3
'_4a9
20.32
' 1.Jl
95% Cl 15.6 .-36.69 19.35-31.36 15.45-26.73 L 9.45-27.20
Number of deaths 92 272 214 i73

$rnokingCessation and Mortality Trends
TABLE I. Cigarette smoking prevalence among World War
I veterans and all males in the United States boon during
1590-1899 (aged 55-64 years as of 1955)
Subjects 1955 1967 1976 1985
Percentage o(current cigarette
smokers by year
WW 1 veterans [refs. 13-161
48
32
15
9
All males [refs. 13-16) 46 30 14 9
All males [ref. 18] 49 30 15
Percentage of current cigarette
smokers relative to 1955
-
WW I veterans [refs. 13-161 IcYi 67 31 19
All males [refs.l3-16) 1C0 65 30 20
All males [reL 18] 1O0 61 31
Percentage of former smokers
among those who ever
smoked cigarettes W W l veterans [13-16]
27
49
76
84
AII males (t3-16j 25 49 76 83
pared with persons who never smoked regularly [14]. The
follow-up period for the U.S. veterans cohort has been de-
fined to be from January 1, 1954, through December 31,
1979, because follow-up for 1980 ma}have been somewhat
incomplete [12[. Relative risks have been determined by
decade (1954-1959, 1960-1969, and 1970-1979) and for
the entire 26-year follow-up period (1954-1979). The anal-
ysis has been restricted to veterans born during 1890-1899
(those aged 55-64 years as of January 1, 1955) in order to
re[are more precisely mortality trends to imputed smoking
trends described later here. The results are limited to deaths
from lung cancer (ICD7 162-163), the cause of death most
strongly related to smoking, and all causes.
Because smoking habits were determined only at time of
enrollment in 1954 or 1957 for this cohort, we have esti-
ated smoking prevalence over time among \YIW I veter-
ans born during 1890-1899 from four national surveys that
provide data for U.S. male veterans and U.S. males by year
815
of birth: the Current Population Survey (CPS) tor 1955
[15],.1967[16(, and 1985 (171, and the 1976 National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS) [18]. Similar analyses of
smoking trends by birth cohort among all U.S. males havc
been done recently using NHIS [19,20].
RESULTS
Table I shows cigarette smoking prevalence during 1955-
1985 and degree of cessation since 1955 for all males and
WW I veterans born during 1890-1899 based on national
surveys. The cigarette smoking prevalence among WW 1
veterans declined from 48% in 1955 to 9% in 1985 among
the 1890-1899 birth cohort. These data show that r-ererans
had smoking patterns similar to those of all men. This high
degree of smoking cessation is generally seen anton_ all per-
sons over 5 5 years of age in national surs-eys [19,2C].
Table 2 presents data on the mortality parterns amonq
those veterans who were already former cigarette smokers
at the beginning of the study. The relarive risk of dea th dur-
ing 1954-1959 by length of time quit as of entrV date
(1954/57) is shown for all former cigarette smokers (n =
31,162) compared with those who nexer smoked regularl)(n = 42.481) among U.S. veteran males. The RR
for all
causes declines from 1.61 (1.50-1.72) for <5 year< to 1.05
(0.97-1.14) for 15+ years and the RR for lung cancer de-
clines from 10.18 (6.83-15.18) for <5 years to 1.73 (0.93-
3.22) for 15+ years. Reduced RRs occur only amon, those
former smokers who have survived for at least 5 years after
stopping. These data are used here to predict the e\pected
impact of smoking cessation on the smokers in this cohort.
Findings similar to these were published more than 30 years
ago and helped establish the relationship between smoking
cessation and mortality [10].
Table 3 shows the relative risk of death by decade amon-1
1954/57 current cigarette smokers (n = 63,159) compared
with those who never smoked regularly (n = 4'_.481). The
TABLE 2. Relatise risk of death (RR and 95% Cl) during 1954-1959 by length of time
quit as of entry date (1953l57) for all former cigarette smokers (n = 31,162) compared
with those who never smoked regularly (n = 42,481) for all causes and lung cancer. The
number of deaths shown is for current and never smokers combined
RR by length of time quit in years
Cause of death <5 5-9 10-14 ?15
Number of (ornrer snrokers 10,689 6303 4012 10,155
All c:wses of dendt
RR
1.61
1-39
1.28
1-05
959;r CI 1.50-1.72 1.28-1.52 1.15-1.43 0.97-1.14
Number"f dearhs 4205 3652 3403 3803
Lung cancer
RR
10.18
6.79
2.89
1.73
9575 Cl 6.83-15.18 4.20-10.96 1.38-6.02 0.93-3.22
Number of dearhs 117 67 43 45

7
Smuking Cessacian and Murtality Trends
smokers. Thus, the impact of smoking cessation ori smokers
as a whole appears to be substantially less than that univer-
sally stated by the Surgeon General and other official agen-
cies. !t appears chat the risk of death associated with ciga-
rette smoking status at enrollment is more fixed than
previously believed.
These findings can be applied in an approximate way to
smoking cessation and lung cancer trends in thee genera[
U.S. population- Table 9 shows the cigarette smoking pat-
rerns and lung cancer death rate during 1966-1968 and
1986 for the birth cohort of U.S. whites aged 45-64 as of
1966, based on the National Mortality Survey (NMS)
/16,251. In addition, the lung cancer death race is presented
for chose in this birth cohort who never smoked cigarettes,
based on a small number of sample deaths. The smoking
data indicate that about 70% of the male smokers and 60%
~,,of the female smokers in this birth cohort quit from 1966 to
1986. However, the lung cancer mortality rate ratio of total
population to never-smokers shows only slight convergence
for males (from 6.4 to 5.9) and divergence for females (from
3.0 to 4.6). Although this analysis is admittedly crude, it
suggests that smoking cessation has had little impact on the
lung cancer death rate in this general population birth co-
hort as a whole.
The results for all causes of death could be affected by life-
style changes other than cessation among smokers that
might have negated the benefits of smoking cessation, but
it is not clear what these changes might have been. Other
than Table 8, data to address this issue are not.available. If
it is eventually determined that other lifestyle changes ne-
gate the impact of cessation, then this would become an
important consideration when evaluating che overall im-
821
pact of cessation. It is much less likely that other lifestyle
changes would have affected the results for lung cancer, as
cigarette smoking is by far the strongest risk factor for this
diseaset lr is possible that while the RR for long-term quitters de-
clines over time, the RR for continuing smokers increases
over time, thereby resulting in a relatively constant RR
trend for the original cohort of smokers as akt'hole. This no-
tion is supported by the unexplained increase in the RR for
current smokers versus never-smokers since the 1960s
[25,261. Another factor that may have attected the RR
trends for all causes is the unexplained decline in age-spe-
cific death rates from all causes (but not from lung cancer)
that has occurred among never-smokers in the general pop-
ulacion since the 1960s [25,26[. Regardless of these consid-
erarions, the fact remains that there is a lack of conver-
gence in RR in spite of substantial cessation. Although
Ihese findings are subject to limitations, they
raise an im-
portanr issue about the value of smoking cessation. Addi-
tional research is needed to understand fullc the impact of
smoking cessation.
APPENDIX
The results for U.S- veterans aged 30-84 at entry are similar
to the ones presented in this article for those aged 55-64
years at entry and are presented in Appendix Tables 2-7.
Results for several smoking-related causes of death are also
presenred. The NHEFS results for those aged 25-74 at entry
are similar to the ones presented above for those aged 55-74
years at entry and are presented in Appendix Tables 8 and 9.
~
APPEVDhS TABLE I. Expected relative risk [RRe] for veterans born during 1890-1899. RRe is based on
the age-specific RR
for current smokers, RRc (age), RR for former smokers (RR(F<5], RR 1F5-91, RR [F10-14], and RR
1Fl">+1) in Table 2. The
calculation is a weighted average of the excess risk in current and former smoking categories for
each decade, assuming a(in-
ear amount of cessation since 1955 based on the smoking data in Table l: 15% by 1960-1964, 30% by
1965-1969, 45% by
1970-1974, and 60% by 1975-1979. The calculation derails are shown for all causes of death and lung
cancer for 1960-1969
and 1970-1979
All causes
RRe ( [960-19691= I + [RRc(65-74) - 11 x (0.70 x (RRc - I/ + 0.15 x (RR(F<5) - 11 - 0.li x (RR(F5-9)
- Ill %[RRc - 11
= 1+( L.57 - 11 x[0. 7J x [1.65 - 11 + 0.15 x [1.61 - 1I - 0.15 x(1.39 - ]]11[1,65 - 11 = 1.53
RRe(1970-1979) = I + (RRe( 7S - 84) - [ 1 x (0.-10 x [RRc - 11 + 0.1) X (RR(F<5) - 11 + 0.15 x IRR
(Fi - 9) - ) ] + 0.15 x
IRR(F10 - 14) - 1] + 0.15 x[RR(FI5+) - 1]l I(RRc - I I
= I + [I.19 - 11 x[0.40 x[1.65 - 11 + 0.15 x/ 1. 61-11 ` 0.15 x11.39 - I]+ 0.15 x[1.28 - I]+ 0-15 x
(1.05 - III/(1.65 - [1 = l.[3
Lung cancer RRe (196J-1969)= I + [RRc(65 - 74) - l ( x [0.70 x IRRc - [I + 0.15 x [RR(F<5) - I ] +
0.15 x [RR(F5 - 9) - l ll / (RRc - 1 ]
= I + [7.96 - 1] x[0. 70 x[ 10.89 - 11 + 0.15 x(10.13 - 11 + 0.15 x(6.79 - l Il l(10.S9 - 11 = 7.43
RRe (1970-[979)= I+[RRc(75 - 84) - 1[ x[0.40 x[RRc - 11 + 0.15 x(RR(F<5) - 1] + 0,15 x IRR(F5 - 9) -
11 + 0.15 x
[RR(Fl0 - 14) - ll + 0-15 x[RR(FL5+) - 111 / IRRc - I]
= I+[7.96 - 11 x[0.40 x l 10.89 - l]+ 0.15 x(1 Q 15 - 1]+ 0.15 x[6. 79 - I]+ 0.15 x
(2.89-11+0.15x[1.73-111/[10.89-1]=5.64

82Z
) . E. Enstrum
APPENDIX TABLE 2. Relative risk of dcath (RR and 95% CE) by length of time quit as of entry date
(1954/57 ) for all former
cigarette smokers (n = 31,162) compared with drose who never smoked regularly (n = 42,481) among
U.S. veteran males
born during 1890-1899 for selected causes of deatit'
Cause of death
All former smokers
All causes
All cancer
BC, eso, or ca
Lungcancer
Orhercancer
All CVD
Coronary HD
Stroke
Bron, emp, asthma
n = 10,689
1.61 (L.50-1.72) [4205[
1.82 (1.57-2. l Z) [805]
4.19 (2.00-8.79) [28[
10.18 (6.83-15.18) (1171
1.20 ( L.00-1.44) [660]
1.54 (1.41-1.67) [2747]
1.50 (1.36-1.66) [19221
1.35 (1.03-1.78) (282[
14.97 (8.07-27_76) [581
RR by length of time quit in years
5-9
n = 6303
1.39 (1.28-1.52) [3652[
1.65 (1.36-L.99) 16941
2.01 (0.66-6.10) [18]
6.79 (4.20-10.96) (671
1.30 0 .04-1.61) [6091
1.40 (1.26-1.56) (24181
L40(L23-L59)[1699]
f.05 (0.73-1.53)['-471
7.13 (3.31-15.38) (26[
10-14
n = 4012
1.23 (L15-L43) [34031
1.36 (1.06-1.74) [632]
0-78 (0.10-5.96) [151
2.59 (1.38-6.02) [43[
1.27 (0-97-1.66) [574]
1.30 ( L.14-L49) [2255]
1.42 (L.22-1.65) [1601]
0.92 (0.57-1.50) [233]
4.29 (1.53-12.04) [18[
?15
n = 10, 153
1.05 (0.97-1.14) [38031
1.21 (1.02-L44) [723[
0.88 (0.Z5-3.07) [171
L73 (0.93-3.21) (48]
1.19 (0.99-L.43) (6581
1.00(0.91-L11)[24941
0.98 (0.87-L.10) (17451
1.10 (0.82-L.4 7 ) [272]
3.15 ( L.3S-7.20) [23]
-AII cancer (ICD7 140.Z07); lung cancer ( ICD7 162-163); buccal casity, esophayvs. and orher
respimtory cancer (1CD7 140-150, 160-161); all cardlovas-
cular disemes (CVD) (ICD7 330-334, 4b3-468), as vell as rmmnary hean dlscase (CHD) (ICD7 420) and
stroke (ICD7 330-334): and bronchltfs, emphy-
sema and asrhmz (ICDi 241. 500-502, 527.1).
r
At
ci;
all
(
APPE.WIXTABLE3. Relative risk of deatlr (RR and 95% C[) by decade among all 1954/57 current
cigarette smokers (n =
63,159) compared with those who never smoked regularly (n = 42,481) among U.S. veteran males born
during 1890-1899
for selected causes of death
RR by decade of follow-up
Cause of death 1954-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1954-1979
A[i causes 1.65 (L.58-L.72) (10,1111 1_72 (L67-L76) (30,4201 1.51 (1.48-L55) (35,0681 L61 (1.58-L63)
[75,599[
AII cancer 1.99 (1.80-2.19) (21361 2.15 (2.03-2.28) [60731 1.87 (1.78-1.97) [6313I 2-00 ( L.93-2-07
) (14.5221
BC, eso, or ca 5.30 (3.03-9.26) [1191 8.81 (5.80-13.37) [3021 3.96 (2.95-5.32) [2S4[ 5.47
(4.4(L6.S1) [705)
Lung cancer 10.89 (7.70-15.41) (5581 11.57, (9.51-1409) [17131 10.65 (8-31-12-89) [14011 1 L10
(9]8-1 2.61) [36721
Orher cancer 1.31 (Lf7-1.45) (14591 1.36 (1.28-1.45) [4058] 1.30 (1.23-1.38) (4628[ 1.33 (1.27-1.38)
[10,145[
All CVD 1.58 (1.50-1.66) [6474] 1.52 (148-1.57) [1$313] 1.34 (L30-1.38) [20,454) 1.44 (1.41-1.46)
[45,241]
Coronary HD 1.57 (1.48-1.63) [4 i i9/ 1.50 (1.45-1.56) [11,9261 1.'-9 (1.24-1-34) [11,947[ 1.41
(L.38-L.45) [28,432]
Stroke 1.35 (L.15-1-60) [6191 1.32 (1?2-L.43) (26611 1.'_'- ( L 1 4-1 29) (41691 1.26 ((.21-1.32)
[7+491
Bron, emp, asthma 7.45 (4.21-13.18) [144{ 10.03 (7.92-IL71) [10(91 11.29 (5.76-14.i5) [8'-61 10.37
(8.79-L'-.24) [1969]
APPEND[X TABLE 4. Cigarette smoking prevalence among veterans and all males in the
United States aged 35-44, 45-54, and 55-64 years as of January 1, 1955
<5
percentage of current cigarette smokers
1955 1967 1976 1985
Subjects by age as of 1955 [ref. 13] [ref. 14] (ref. 16[ [ref. 151
35-44 years (horn during 1910-1919)
Veterans
64
55
40
24
All males 62 53 38 23
45-54 years (horn during, 1900-19c`9)
Veterans
61
49
29
15
All males 58 45 27 14
55-64 years (born during 1890-1599)
Veterans
48
32
15
9
All males 46 30 14 9

. r
J Clin EplJemiul Vol. 52. No. 9. pp.813-325, 1999 ~ 089543i6/9y/$-ser iront mrmr
Copyright ® 1999 Elsevier Sdence Inc. All «shrs rexn~ed. ~r4 Fll Si1895-4356(99)OOOqO-2
~
ELSE}'IER
VARIANCE AND DISSENT
Presentation
Smoking Cessation and Mortality Trends Among Two
United States Populations
James E. Enstrom
SCHOOL OF PUBLiC HEALTH AND )ONfSJN COMPREHENSI V E CANCER CENTER,
UNIVER5ITY OF CALIFORNIL. Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
ABSTRACT. The long-terrn impact of smoking cessation on mortality is assessed among two U.S.
popula[ions
a large cohort of U.S. veterans aged 55-64 at entry and iollowed from 1954 through 1979 and the
NHANES I
Epidemiologic Followup Seudy (NHEFS) cohort of a national sample of U.S. adults aged 55-74 at entry
and
followed from 1971 through 1992. Direct and indirect survel' data indicate that 50-70% of those who
were
current cigarette smokers at entry had quit smoking dvnne the 19- to 26-year follow-up periods. The
impact of
smoking cessation on morcality among the cigarette smokers as a whole has been assessed by
detemtining the
time trend of the relative risk (RR) of death and 95o confidence interval (CI) for the cigarette
smokers
compared with never-smokers over the entlre follou-u,r penod in boch cohorts. The total death rates
for the
1954'57 U.S. veteran smoker as a whole (63,159 mal<s) have concerrned only slightly toward those of
never-
smokers, from RR = L65 (15S-1.72 ) during 1954-19>9 w RR = 1 61 (1-58-1.63) during 1954-1979. The
lung
cancer death mtes for 19`>45 i smokers as a whole have nat convereed toward those of never-smokers.
a'ith RR =
10.89 (7.70-15.41) during 1954-1959 and RR = I1.1: 9.78-12.61) during 1954-1979. The total death
rates
for the 1971-1975 NHEFS smokers as a whole (694 malee and 1116 females) have not converged tov,ard
those of
never-smukers. For males. RR = 1.92 (1.46-2.52) durins 1971-1952 and RR = 1.96 (1.63-2.36) during
1971-
1992; for females, RR = 1.79 (1.31-2.46) during 1971-19i'- and RR = 1.79 ( L47-2.17 ) during
1971-1992. The
lung cancer death rates have diverged, based on small numbers of deaths. For males, RR = 15.76
(2.06-120.61)
during 1971-1952 and Rft = 22.20 (5.31-92.92) durino i~-1-1992; for females, RR = 2.92 (0.57-15.06)
during
1971-1982 and RR = 4.<4 (1.94-1L59) during 197!-t992. These trends are contrary to the substantial
convergence predicted by the death rate trends among [.S. veterans who were former smokers at the
beginning
of follow-up. Whilc these results confirm chac those former smokers ..ho survive for ac least 5
years experience
death rates that converge tort'ard those of never-smoker, they also indicate that a cohort of
cigarette smokers
that undergoes substantial cessation experiences a deathh mce that does not converge toward the
death rate of
never-smokers The fact that there has been no concer=ence for lun- cancer is quite surprising, as
this is the
disease most strongly linked to smoking and smoking .e=,uinn and less likely to be influenced by
other lifestyle
factors. Further investigation is needed for a complete un.lerstanding of the impact of smoking
cessation. 7 cuN
EnmEaucti 52;9-513-$25, 1999. ~cD 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.
KEY WORDS. Smoking cessation, morralicy, U.S veter;n>, NHEFS. epidemiology
INTRODUCTION
1t has been estimated b}- the Surgeon General and others
that cigarette smoking causes about 19% of all U.S. deaths
[fl. This represents more than 4CC,2C0 deaths per year,
mainly front coronary heart duease, luno cancer, and ocher
respirator3diseases, that in principle can be eliminated by
smoking cessation. Hower'er, in spite of a substantial degree
of cigarette smoking cesation and a large reduction in tar-
and-nicotine levels in cigarettes durine the past 35 years in
AJdress corrap..ndenee to: James E. Emtrom. Ph.D.. M.P.H., School uf
Puhlic Hcalrh. Universiryof C.alllbmlz. Las Aneclcs. CA 90095-17 72.
the general U.S. population (2(, the lung cancer death rate
remains persistently high (3f. Indeed, among U.S. adults
>ince (966, the percentage of current ciqarette smokers has
declined from 43% to 25% and the percentage of former
smokers has increased from 13% to 25°6, and yet the lung
cancer death nte has increased by about 100%. Thus, it is
important to evaluate the impact of smoking cessation from
a perspccuce char may explain these trends.
The ~alue of smoking cessation comes primarily from ob-
servational epidemiological studies, which consistently in-
dicate that the death rates of former cigarette smokers are
lower than those of current cigarette smokers, and that the
former smoker deach rates converge toward those of never-
A
~
A
T
