Of all modifiable risk factors, smoking carries the highest risk of events such as heart attack and stroke, in addition to causing numerous cancers. Within minutes of your last cigarette, your heart rate slows. Within months, your risk of heart attack begins to drop. After five and 15 years, your risk of stroke, lung cancer and coronary heart disease drop significantly, sometimes to the level of someone who had never smoked. At Weill Cornell, we have numerous resources to assist in your quest to stop smoking.