it's what a doctor told me a few decades ago
he reckoned the lungs' ability to fully recover starts to deteriorate after 40 and if you were a heavy smoker it takes about 20 years rather than 15 to fully repair, although chatgpt says different
i finally stopped at 39 after many attempts
chatgpt
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by what age should you stop smoking for your lungs to fully recover?
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Quitting smoking at any age has health benefits, but the sooner you quit, the more fully your lungs and body can recover.
Here’s what research says about lung recovery by age:
✅ If you quit before age 30:
Your lungs can almost fully recover, especially if you have not smoked heavily for many years.
Risk of lung cancer, COPD, and heart disease drops significantly — often to near-normal levels within decades.
✅ If you quit before age 40:
You avoid about 90% of the excess risk of smoking-related death.
Lungs may not return to 100% of non-smoker function, but you drastically reduce risk of chronic respiratory disease.
✅ If you quit before age 50:
You cut your risk of dying in the next 15 years by half compared to someone who keeps smoking.
Lung damage (like emphysema) may already have started, but symptoms can stabilize or improve.
✅ If you quit after 60:
You still add years to your life and improve quality of life.
Lung tissue damage may be permanent if diseases like COPD have developed, but quitting slows progression.
Lung recovery timeline after quitting:
Within 2 weeks to 3 months: Lung function begins to improve.
1 year: Risk of heart disease drops by half.
5-10 years: Risk of stroke and some cancers drops significantly.
10+ years: Lung cancer risk continues to decline, though never quite reaches that of a never-smoker.
Bottom line:
To give your lungs the best chance to fully recover, quitting before age 30–35 is ideal.
But it’s never too late — the lungs begin healing within weeks, no matter your age.
Edited on 01/10/2025 at 18:44:25.
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