"As individuals in our society live longer, a larger number of smokers who are over age 60 will seek medical care and will benefit from cessation efforts," said study author David M. Burns, MD, of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. "This is a population where preventive services should not be ignored."

As part of his research, Burns analyzed various studies on smoking and the elderly. Although he found that older smokers have traditionally been less likely than younger smokers to attempt quitting, those who do try are more likely than younger smokers to seek assistance and to be successful in their efforts.

The research showed that elderly smokers who quit lower their risk of lung cancer and heart disease. Although the benefits of quitting may be proportionally less for elderly smokers, Burns said quitting at any age "can have a substantial effect on rates of smoking-induced disease and remains the most effective method of reducing smoking-induced disease risk for elderly smokers."

Burns' research also found that smoking takes a higher toll on the elderly because it causes cumulative damage that increases the risk of death and of smoking-related diseases every year. "Cigarette smoking can be conceptualized as a disease contracted in adolescence that causes death and disability predominantly at older ages," he said.

The research review is published in the July/August special issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

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