PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Combined therapy benefits cigarette smokers trying to quit compared to monotherapy

2014-01-08
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kelley Luckstein
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
Combined therapy benefits cigarette smokers trying to quit compared to monotherapy ROCHESTER, Minn. — Jan. 7, 2014 — Among cigarette smokers, combining the smoking cessation medications varenicline and bupropion, compared with varenicline alone, resulted in higher smoking abstinence rates for one outcome but not the other at three and six months; rates were similar at one year, according to a Mayo Clinic study published this month in JAMA.

"We were interested in seeing if combining different medications together can improve the ability of patients to quit over and above single drug therapy," says lead author Jon Ebbert, M.D., Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. "What we found was an increase in quit rates, and the increase in quit rates was particularly strong in heavier and more dependent smokers."

The study authors looked at the efficacy of combining the medications varenicline and bupropion SR (sustained-release) for smoking cessation, compared with varenicline alone (monotherapy). In addition, the research team analyzed data based on participants' smoking rate and level of nicotine dependence.

Cigarette smokers were randomized to 12 weeks of varenicline and bupropion SR or varenicline and placebo with follow-up through 52 weeks. The primary outcome was smoking abstinence rates at week 12, defined as prolonged abstinence (no smoking from two weeks after the target quit date) and seven-day point-prevalence abstinence (no smoking past seven days). Outcomes were confirmed with an exhaled breath test for carbon monoxide.

Combination therapy was associated with significantly higher prolonged smoking abstinence rates at 12 (53 percent vs. 43.2 percent) and 26 weeks (36.6 percent vs. 27.6 percent) compared with varenicline alone. No significant differences were observed between the two groups at any time point for seven-day point-prevalence smoking abstinence. Anxiety was reported more commonly with combination therapy than with varenicline monotherapy (7.2 percent vs. 3.1 percent), as were depressive symptoms (3.6 percent vs. 0.8 percent).

Additional analyses revealed that the beneficial effects of combination therapy were stronger in heavier and more dependent smokers.

"For lighter smokers, using varenicline alone is just as effective as using both medications together," says Dr. Ebbert. "But, if you're a heavy smoker, you really should consider using combination therapy to increase your success of quitting."

###

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant CA138417. Medication (varenicline) was supplied by Pfizer.

Other authors include Dorothy Hatsukami, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Sharon Allen, M.D., Ph.D., Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota; Ivana Croghan, Ph.D.; Darrell Schroeder; J. Taylor Hays, M.D.; and Richard Hurt, M.D., all from Mayo Clinic.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

About Mayo Clinic

Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, MayoClinic.org or http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New diagnostic and therapeutic techniques show potential for patients with metastasized melanoma

2014-01-08
New diagnostic and therapeutic techniques show potential for patients with metastasized melanoma Reston, Va. (January 7, 2014) – With low survival rates for patients with metastasized melanoma, accurate staging and effective treatments are critical to extending ...

Pandora's magnifying glass

2014-01-08
Pandora's magnifying glass First image from Hubble's Frontier Fields This image of Abell 2744 is the first to come from Hubble's Frontier Fields observing programme, which is using the magnifying power of enormous galaxy clusters to peer deep ...

Out-of-this-world first light images emerge from Gemini Planet Imager

2014-01-08
Out-of-this-world first light images emerge from Gemini Planet Imager After nearly a decade of development, construction and testing, the world's most advanced instrument for directly imaging and analyzing planets orbiting around other stars is pointing ...

Hubble unveils a deep sea of small and faint early galaxies

2014-01-08
Hubble unveils a deep sea of small and faint early galaxies UC Riverside-led research shows the galaxies are the faintest and most numerous ever seen in the early universe RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A team of scientists led by astronomers at the University ...

Neuroscience study uncovers new player in obesity

2014-01-08
Neuroscience study uncovers new player in obesity A protein directs appetite suppressor in the brain; implications for obesity treatment BOSTON (January 7, 2014, 5:00 pm ET) — A new neuroscience study sheds light on the biological underpinnings ...

Finding about classic suppressor of immunity points toward new therapies for bad infections

2014-01-08
Finding about classic suppressor of immunity points toward new therapies for bad infections AUGUSTA, Ga. - A well-documented suppressor of immunity that's used by fetuses and tumors alike, just may be able to change its spots, researchers ...

Study: 'Living Room' offers alternative treatment for emotional distress

2014-01-08
Study: 'Living Room' offers alternative treatment for emotional distress Patients perceive nonclinical care setting as 'helpful and positive' CHICAGO — Emergency departments may not be the best choice for persons suffering from severe mental illness or emotional distress. ...

AGU journal highlights -- Jan. 7, 2014

2014-01-08
AGU journal highlights -- Jan. 7, 2014 The following highlights summarize research papers that have been recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) and Water Resources Research (WRR). In this release: Kīlauea magma chamber inflation triggered ...

Microbe community changes may reduce Amazon's ability to lock up carbon dioxide

2014-01-08
Microbe community changes may reduce Amazon's ability to lock up carbon dioxide UT Arlington researchers focusing on the Amazon recently found that widespread conversion from rainforest to pastureland has significant effects on microorganism communities that ...

New research study: The snowball effect of overfishing

2014-01-08
New research study: The snowball effect of overfishing TALLAHASSEE – Florida State University researchers have spearheaded a major review of fisheries research that examines the domino effect that occurs when too many fish are harvested from one habitat. The ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Idaho National Laboratory accelerates nuclear energy projects with Amazon Web Services cloud and AI technologies

Kavraki elected to European Academy of Sciences

UK teens who currently vape as likely to start smoking as their peers in the 1970s

Higher ultra processed food intake linked to increased lung cancer risk

Exercise rehab lessens severity, frequency + recurrence of irregular heart rhythm (AF)

Deep heat beneath the United States traced to ancient rift with Greenland

Animals in national parks remained wary of human footprint during 2020 COVID shutdown

Stevens INI receives prestigious contract to advance women’s brain health

Fulbright funds OU professor’s biodiversity research

Antiviral treatment fails to slow early-stage Alzheimer’s

Can African countries meet 2030 childhood immunization goals?

Low pre-pregnancy blood sugar linked with higher risk of preterm birth, other risks

AI reveals language links between Reddit groups for hate speech, psychiatric disorders

A fast daily walk could extend your life: Study

Genome sequencing of butterflies resolves centuries-old conundrum

U-M study: E-cigarettes could unravel decades of tobacco control

Blending technologies may help coral offspring blossom

Research alert: Cannabis use disorder triples risk of oral cancer

Brown University to lead national institute focused on intuitive, trustworthy AI assistants

On track to produce better lab-grown burgers

Class divided: How Aussie highschoolers are separated on ability

Polygenic architecture of dental caries: single nucleotide polymorphisms in genetic epidemiology

Interrater reliability of the Nancy Histologic Index in assessing histologic remission in treated ulcerative colitis biopsies: a multi-institutional experience among gastrointestinal pathologists in t

Physical inactivity crisis costing US $192 billion annually, new study reveals

Groundbreaking research to identify early signs of multiple sclerosis

Designing drones that can fly in air ducts

With no need for sleep or food, AI-built ‘scientists’ get the job done quickly

Blood tests show potential for colorectal cancer detection, but follow-up still falls short

A twangy timbre cuts through the noise

How does the immune system prepare for breastfeeding?

[Press-News.org] Combined therapy benefits cigarette smokers trying to quit compared to monotherapy