Article

Clinical experience of varenicline for smoking cessation.

Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
The Clinical Respiratory Journal (impact factor: 1.06). 10/2010; 4(4):215-21. DOI:10.1111/j.1752-699X.2009.00178.x pp.215-21
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT   Varenicline, a partial agonist/antagonist of the alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, is effective in smoking cessation, which was demonstrated by several randomized, controlled clinical trials.
  In the present study, we evaluated the practical efficacy of varenicline for smoking cessation in patients who visited a pulmonary clinic at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.
  Varenicline was prescribed to smokers after brief, standardized, individual counseling from June 2007 to January 2009. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Their smoking status was assessed by telephone interview from October 2007, and final, confirmative telephone inquiry was performed in April 2009. The primary question was 4-week continuous abstinence from smoking between 9 and 12 weeks. Results:  Overall, 217 current smokers (200 men and 17 women) who were prescribed varenicline were enrolled. On average, participants were 52 years old and had 35 pack-year of smoking history. Nineteen participants (8.8%) did not purchase the drug, and nine (4.1%) who purchased did not take the medicine. Contact was impossible for 32 (14.7%). Fifty participants (23.0%) succeeded, while 107 (49.3%) failed in abstaining from smoking from 9 to 12 weeks. Only 32 (14.7%) had a prescription of varenicline for 12 weeks or more. Most participants (80%) reported their desire for smoking reduced after taking varenicline. Common adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
  Although varenicline was effective in reducing the desire to smoke, poor dosing compliance needs to be overcome in clinical practice.

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Keywords

217 current smokers
 
alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
 
clinical practice
 
clinical trials
 
Common adverse events
 
confirmative telephone inquiry
 
individual counseling
 
medical records
 
partial agonist/antagonist
 
poor dosing compliance
 
practical efficacy
 
pulmonary clinic
 
smokers
 
smoking cessation
 
smoking history
 
smoking status
 
South Korea
 
telephone interview
 
university-affiliated hospital
 
varenicline