title: A longer course of varenicline therapy improves smoking cessation rates.
abstract: Smoking exerts strong dose-dependent increases in cardiovascular risk and mortality, and quitting can profoundly decrease these risks. Varenicline attenuates nicotine addiction by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings. A meta-analysis performed addressed whether a longer duration of varenicline is associated with better abstinence rates than shorter courses of treatment. For this meta-analysis, a literature search was performed to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of the smoking cessation agent varenicline. The association between abstinence and duration of treatment was analyzed using fixed-effect meta-regression. Five randomized controlled trials were identified and included in this meta-analysis. A highly significant relationship (P<.001) was found between the length of exposure to varenicline and abstinence rate. Cessation rates were approximately twice as high with varenicline treatment of 24 weeks compared to 6 weeks. In conclusion, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials suggests that longer duration of varenicline therapy improves long-term abstinence rates.
authors.affiliation: Mid America Heart Institute and University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Philip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bybee
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
mesh_terms: D001552:Benzazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D011810:Quinoxalines; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D000068580:Varenicline