I'm 52 and it feels like everyone resents me for not being dead yet, but it's the opposite

Quitting smoking lowers cardiovascular risk at any age, including after 50, and tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death in Spain. The 30% figure doesn't miccionan smoking is harmless: it means there are more factors at play.

## The 30% figure used to justify keeping smoking

Some people read that classic risk factors —tobacco, alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet— explain only about **30%** of deaths from coronary heart disease and conclude that, if tobacco is a small piece of the puzzle, quitting isn't worth it. The reasoning has a flaw: a factor can account for a fraction of the total while still being the one that causes the most preventable deaths. The **World Health Organization** attributes more than **8 million** deaths a year worldwide to tobacco, of which around **1.3 million** are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

## What happens in the body when you quit at 50

Cardiovascular risk starts to drop within weeks of giving up tobacco, and after **10-15 years** the risk of heart attack approaches that of someone who never smoked, according to the US **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention**. At **52**, there's plenty of margin left to gain years of life. The body doesn't care about late regrets: it only cares about smoke inhaled or not inhaled.

## The distress that doesn't show up in lab tests

Persistent sadness, the feeling that everyone is angry at you and difficulty finding reasons for joy are a mental health problem, not proof that smoking doesn't matter. The **WHO** estimates that around **280 million** people worldwide suffer from depression. If your mood has been low for months, it's worth seeing a healthcare professional: tobacco treats none of it, it just masks it for a while.

If you're thinking about quitting or seeking help for your mood, talk to your GP or call your health centre.