Smokers prescribed varenicline more likely to quit
Patients with mental health conditions who are prescribed varenicline to quit smoking, are more likely to have quit at two-year follow-up compared to patients prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), reports a study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
The study drew on data from over 200,000 smokers, comparing the outcomes for patients with and without mental health conditions prescribed both NRT and varenicline.
The results highlight that:
- Compared to smokers without mental health conditions, smokers with these conditions were 31% less likely to be prescribed varenicline than NRT.
- Smokers with mental health conditions who were prescribed varenicline were 19% more likely to have successfully quit at their two-year follow-up, than those prescribed NRT.
- Varenicline is more effective than NRT in helping patients stop smoking and there was little evidence that varenicline was adversely associated with poorer mental health outcomes. In general, varenicline was not associated with worse mental health outcomes.
Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction, King’s College London and Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership says: “People with mental health conditions are more likely to smoke and smoke heavily than those without and this contributes to them dying much earlier. Doctors should therefore be pulling out all the stops to help these smokers to quit, but this research involving nearly 80,000 smokers, shows that this is not happening.
“Smokers with mental conditions are less likely to be prescribed varenicline than nicotine replacement therapy, than those without mental health conditions, despite the authors finding varenicline to be more effective and generally associated with better mental health outcomes.”
Noel Baxter, PCRS Executive Chair says: “The NHSE long term plan has a key aim to address health inequity. Dealing with the lethal combination of tobacco and mental illness would undoubtedly help with this. This is yet another study that shows a safe and high value intervention for this problem is wanted by those who would benefit but is being underused. It’s time to do the right thing.”
If you need to brush up your smoking cessation skills:
- Take a look at our new look Guide to Tobacco Dependency
- Attend a hands on smoking cessation techniques workshop at the PCRS Respiratory Conference 2019