Study Reveals Long-term Immune Damage from Smoking

Even years after quitting, smoking continues to impair immune responses, posing increased health risks.

A recent study published in Nature by the Institut Pasteur reveals that smoking significantly weakens both innate and adaptive immune responses, with effects persisting years after quitting.
The study analyzed immune responses in 1,000 healthy individuals, exposing their blood samples to various pathogens and measuring cytokine levels.
Smoking was found to have the most notable impact on immune responses compared to other lifestyle factors, including body mass index and latent infections.
Former smokers' adaptive immune responses remain impaired for years, with potential clinical implications for increased risk of infections, cancers, or autoimmune diseases.
The study suggests that quitting smoking can gradually restore innate immune responses, but adaptive immunity may take longer to recover due to lingering epigenetic alterations.