Citing the fact that women smokers lose more than 14 years from their life span, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) urged women to quit smoking, HealthDay News reported Nov. 27.

One in five women in the U.S. over the age of 18 continue to smoke despite decades of warnings about health concerns, but there's "no good reason" not to quit, ACOG noted. "The damaging effects of smoking on women are extensive, well documented, and can be observed from the cradle to the premature grave," said Sharon Phelan, a developer of ACOG's smoking-cessation materials.

Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer among women, and is a contributing factor in a number of other cancers. Female smokers are twice as likely to develop heart disease and 10 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than nonsmokers.

Women who smoke also face elevated risk of developing emphysema, bronchitis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, lower bone density after menopause, and hip fracture.