Leonard Nimoy Reveals He Has Lung Disease, Warns Against Smoking

http://celebrity.yahoo.com ^ | february 5, 2014 | Raechal Leone Shewfelt

[lowbridge]

It's too late for Leonard Nimoy, but he wants his fans to know that they should quit smoking now.

The 82-year-old actor, who's played the iconic role of Spock in "Star Trek" TV shows and movies since 1966, has revealed that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from his days as a smoker.

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP" he wrote on Twitter, referencing the traditional Vulcan salutation, live long and prosper.

COPD is a disease that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Patients who have it often have the conditions of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and experience tightening of the chest, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, which is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.

[cotton1706]

Hey, you wanted to lean over that reactor in Star Trek II. Don’t come crying to us!!

[Lakeshark]

He was not logical........

[a fool in paradise]

[OneWingedShark]

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, which is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.

How much you wanna bet that that's disregarding the true leading cause of death in America — abortion?

[Snickering Hound]

[skinndogNN]

You’re 82. You’ve lived a longer life than most folks. Don’t be blaming yourself for getting Lung disease when your 82.

[txrefugee]

Even actors have to die of something eventually. At 82, death is right around the corner for most people, regardless of whether you smoked or not.

[montag813]

Nimoy is incorrect to blame himself. I know several people in their 70s and 80s who have COPD and never smoked a day in their lives. In fact, many people with COPD have it as a result of lifelong, untreated asthma, or more serious conditions that their physicians thought were merely asthma, but we in fact more serious diseases.

[onyx]

B T T T ! ! ! ©

[trisham]

Poor man.

[prof.h.mandingo]

IF you want to be technical the leading cause of death is birth. 82 is getting up there.

[DannyTN]

Smoking wasn’t logical.

[OKSooner]

I remember one of my favorite actors, Yul Bryner, doing a PSA where he looked into the camera and said "Just don't smoke."

He was gone within a few weeks, it seemed.

[Buckeye McFrog]

My grandfather developed lung cancer (which mercifully, took him very quickly) 36 years after he’d quit smoking.

There is not always necessarily a cause-and-effect here.

I will pray for Mr. Nimoy. I have always enjoyed his work.

[henkster]

He can’t say he didn’t live long, and didn’t prosper.

[kidd]

Prayers for Mr. Nimoy.

My mother-in-law died of COPD at 80. Whether a smoker or not, it is a painful way to go.

[rstrahan]

My M-I-L passed away from COPD, Congestive Heart Failure. No smoking, just old age, body shutting down. You’re gonna die of something. At the same time, my wife’s grandmother smoked into her mid 80’s. Didn’t die of lung cancer, didn’t die of COPD. Died when a demented old woman hit her thinking my wife’s grandmother was after a man she was interested in.

[Tupelo]

my younger brother has COPD. Former Marine. Vietnam Vet. Probably exposed to more crap there than we will ever know or imagine. Add to that fifty years of smoking and forty years in hot stinking press rooms working with unknown chemicals and breathing God only knows what vapors.
Sad to see.

[ZX12R]

No smoking, just old age, body shutting down

If Spock is having problems with his lungs, it is not likely that it's because of his smoking 30 years ago. It's more likely due to him using them 24/7 for 82 years.