Smoking cessation medications do not appear to increase risk of neuropsychiatric side effects, study finds
The study is the largest trial to date looking at the safety and efficacy of three first line smoking cessation treatments -- varenicline, bupropion and nicotine patches -- compared to placebo in smokers with and without psychiatric disorders, and finds than smokers who took varenicline achieved higher abstinence rates than smokers on bupropion, nicotine patches, or placebo. The study involved more than 8000 people and was requested by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following concerns about the neuropsychiatric safety of varenicline and bupropion. "Given that an estimated 6 million people worldwide die as a result of tobacco smoking every year, we need to be able to provide maximum support for people to stop smoking. Our study shows that all three first-line smoking cessation medications are effective in helping people stop smoking, with varenicline being the most effective," says lead author Professor Robert M. Anthenelli, University of California, San Diego...