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| Your heart rate and blood pressure drops. |
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| The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. |
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| Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. |
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| Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. |
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| The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's. |
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| Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting. |
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| The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease. |
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| The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's. |
