Difficulties of smoking cessation in diabetic inpatients benefiting from a systematic consultation to help them to give up smoking.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of systematic smoking cessation consultations for diabetic smokers admitted to hospital.


METHODS
All diabetic smokers admitted to the Diabetes Department of Georges Pompidou European Hospital between February 2003 and February 2004 were systematically offered a consultation with a physician specialised in tobacco cessation. Follow-up visits at three, six and nine months were planned.


RESULTS
Of the 306 diabetic patients admitted, 38 (12.4%) were smokers. There were more men than women in the group of smokers and the diabetic smokers were younger than the non-smokers. The smokers had fewer micro-angiopathic complications than the non-smokers, but there was no difference in the frequency of macro-angiopathic complications. The level of nicotine physical dependence was moderate or high for 60% of the smokers. Although all the smokers agreed to the consultation, less than half agreed to drug-based treatments to help them to give up smoking and only 15% returned for the six-month visit. Only one patient had stopped smoking at the six-month visit.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the difficulties in systematic interventions to help diabetic patients to stop smoking. Diabetic smokers probably constitute a specific population for which the barriers to giving up smoking should be explored.
Scemama
O
O
Centre de Tabacologie, Hôpital European Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
Hamo-Tchatchouang
E
E
Le Faou
A L
AL
Altman
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D003253:Consultants; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide