V-CREATE researcher, Meredith Duncan, was recognized at the 2018 AHA Scientific Sessions with the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award for the highest rated abstract from the United States. Duncan's abstract utilized Framingham Heart Study data to examine the impact of quitting smoking relative to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Prior evidence supports rapid elimination of excess risk within a few year since quitting, but these data were simulated or derived using cohorts with few assessments of smoking status during follow-up. This research found that former smokers experienced a 38% CVD risk reduction relative to current smoker within 5 years of quitting smoking. However, former heavy smokers (as compared to never smokers) remain at elevated CVD risk even after 15 years since quitting smoking which is longer than many prior estimates. This research is important given the rise in former smokers who remain at risk for CVD. Read the abstract here.