Pack year

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A pack year is a quantification of cigarette smoking.

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[edit] Definition

A way to measure the amount a person has smoked over a long period of time. It is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked. For example, 1 pack year is equal to smoking 1 pack per day for 1 year, or 2 packs per day for half a year, and so on.[1]

[edit] Calculation

Number of packs smoked per day * Number of years as a smoker = Pack Year

Example: If a person smokes 30 cigarettes a day for 40 years, then we would calculate as follows:

30 Cigarettes a day = 1.5 packs a day (20 cigarettes in a pack)

1.5 x 40yrs = 60 pack years

[edit] Significance and Usage

Quantification of pack years smoked is important in clinical care where degree of tobacco exposure is closely correlated to risk of disease.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=306510 National Cancer Institute Definition of Pack Year
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