Varenicline is effective in smoking cessation – if patients adhere

Addiction. 2107. doi:10.1111/add.13855

Varenicline combined with behavioural support helps about half of smokers to quit, new Spanish research suggests. However, the success of treatment depends strongly on adherence.

The open-label, randomised study compared treatment with varenicline 1.0mg and 0.5mg twice daily for eight weeks in 484 patients who were followed for one year. Patients also received personalised cognitive behavioural therapy at baseline and at six visits during the year, and could telephone a psychologist at any time.
About of half those enrolled (59.5%) were male, the average age was 50.7 years and the mean smoking history was
37.5 pack-years.

At one year, self-reported, biochemically verified abstinence rates were 46.5% and 46.4% with 1.0 and 0.5mg varenicline respectively. The authors comment that the ‘high-intensity behavioural therapy is believed to have contributed significantly to the success of the programme in both dose groups’.