Table 2 Crude mortality (per 100 000 person‐years) of 54 214 clients in Elderly Health Centres in Hong Kong by sex and smoking status.

	Never smoker		Former smoker		Current smoker (cigarettes per day)
					All current smoker		1–9*		10–20*			>20*
Cause of death	n	Mortality	n	Mortality	n	Mortality	n	Mortality	n		Mortality	n	Mortality
Men
Subjects	7072		7455		3635		1391		1547			564
Person‐years	29136		29856		14299		5557		6126			2018
Malignant neoplasm
Lung cancer	31	106	112	375	116	811	42	756	54		882	18	892
All cancers	179	614	321	1075	241	1685	92	1656	109		1779	34	1685
Cardiovascular disease
Ischaemic heart disease	67	230	83	278	40	280	15	270	19		310	6	297
Stroke	42	144	71	238	40	280	17	306	17		278	4	198
All cardiovascular disease	143	491	218	730	103	720	43	774	46		751	12	595
Respiratory disease
COPD	24	82	95	318	30	210	17	306	7		114	6	297
All respiratory diseases†	80	275	192	643	61	427	30	540	20		326	10	496
All causes	508	1744	869	2911	471	3294	202	3635	193		3151	66	3271
Women
Subjects	31767		2853		1432		892		374			78
Person‐years	133270		11804		5910		3703		1513			298
Malignant neoplasm
Lung cancer	162	122	52	441	29	491	21	567		6	396	0	0
All cancers	615	461	101	856	52	880	35	945		13	859	0	0
Cardiovascular disease
Ischaemic heart disease	181	136	29	246	13	220	6	162		4	264	2	671
Stroke	183	137	32	271	13	220	8	216		2	132	2	671
All cardiovascular disease	484	363	81	686	33	558	20	540		6	396	4	1343
Respiratory disease
COPD	35	26	38	322	9	152	5	135		1	66	1	336
All respiratory diseases†	171	128	64	542	16	271	10	270		3	198	1	336
All causes	1622	1217	299	2533	114	1929	75	2025		24	1586	5	1678

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

*Subjects with missing data on cigarette consumption daily were excluded.

†Includes COPD, respiratory tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases.