LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The new year is time for quitting habits like smoking, and a Norton Healthcare doctor joined WDRB Mornings on Tuesday to offer an approach that works best.
"The best way to do it is always to get a plan," Dr. Steven Patton said. "There are people who quit cold turkey. That success rate is less than about 5%, really."
Patton said you can start seeing the benefits from quitting smoking pretty quickly. In 20 minutes, your heart rate starts to go down. Within 12 hours of quitting, your carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
In a few months, your risk of heart attack goes down, and years down the line, risks of certain cancers goes down as well.
Talk to your provider if you plan to stop smoking. Norton Healthcare offers free classes that help you figure out your triggers and how to successfully stop smoking.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 28.3 million U.S. adults currently smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., according to the CDC.
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