Smoking and mortality in Asia

Bottom Line: In this analysis of data from 20 studies conducted in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and India with more than 1 million participants, deaths associated with smoking continued to increase among men in Asia grouped by the years in which they were born. Among the study participants, there were 144,366 deaths (with 9,158 from lung cancer) during an average follow-up of almost 12 years. Tobacco smoking was associated with 12.5 percent of total deaths and 56.6 percent of lung cancer deaths in men born before 1920, 21.1 percent of total deaths and 66.6 percent of lung cancer deaths in those born in the 1920s, and 29.3 percent of total deaths and 68.4 percent of lung cancer deaths among men born in 1930 or later. The study findings suggest tobacco smoking will remain a significant public health concern in Asia.

Authors:  Wei Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, and coauthors

(doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1474)

Editor’s Note: The article contains conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

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