How long ago did the patient quit smoking?

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Time since quitting smoking affects how much the airways and overall risk have begun to recover. After cessation, the lungs start to heal and become more efficient at clearing mucus; ciliary function improves and inflammation decreases. By about six months, these changes are substantial enough to reduce coughing, phlegm, and respiratory infections and to improve measured lung function and exercise tolerance. That makes six months a natural point to expect meaningful improvement, better than a very short interval like two weeks, and still earlier than the longer-term risk reductions seen after a year or more. So, quitting six months ago best aligns with the level of recovery typically observed at this stage.