ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) — A new study finds quitting smoking by age 40 erases most of the risk of an early death.

Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine’s Dr. Graham Colditz says longtime smokers die on average 11 years sooner than non smokers.

But this research finds that can be reversed.

“I’d expect most of those quitting later, although not too late, are gaining back some of their years that would other wise be lost due to diseases caused by smoking,” said Dr. Colditz.

Specifically, if you quit before age 35, you gain back ten of those eleven lost years. If you quit between 35 and 44 you can get nine years back. Between 45 and 54, you can six of those years back.