Smoking Cessation News and Research

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Study to look at effect of using nicotine patches during pregnancy

1050 pregnant women are being recruited for the most extensive trial of its kind to establish the effect of using nicotine patches during pregnancy.

4 Jul 2007

Young adult smokers are highly motivated to quit

Despite tried and true methods to quit smoking, young adults do not take advantage of these proven smoking cessation treatments that can double their chances of quitting, University of Illinois at Chicago public health researchers report.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

Cigarette taxes do reduce smoking but can lead to bootlegging

Increasing cigarette taxes is an effective strategy for reducing tobacco use but there may be negative consequences especially in disadvantaged minority communities.

29 Jun 2007

Smoking may interfere with alcoholics neurocognitive recovery from abstinence

Alcoholics frequently smoke. Anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of individuals in North America who seek alcoholism treatment are also chronic smokers.

26 Jun 2007

Smoking affects ligament healing

The list of reasons you shouldn't smoke has gotten longer. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are reporting that smoking interferes with ligament healing.

23 Jun 2007

Do pay-for-performance incentives improve quality of care?

Pay-for-performance incentives have been proposed as a method to improve the quality of care received by patients.

5 Jun 2007

WHO calls for indoor public places and workplaces 100% smoke-free

The World Health Organization (WHO) signalled the urgent need for countries to make all indoor public places and workplaces 100% smoke-free with the release of its new policy recommendations on protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in advance of World No Tobacco Day (31 May), which focuses this year on this theme.

30 May 2007

Dentists can play a significant role in decreasing tobacco-related illness and death

Dentists may be able to help their patients stop smoking by referring them to tobacco-use telephone "quitlines," according to a pilot study published in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).

28 May 2007

FDA should be given broad regulatory authority over tobacco marketing, packaging, and distribution

A combination of increased excise taxes, nationwide indoor smoking bans, and other measures would significantly lower the U.S. smoking rate, which now hovers at around 21 percent of the adult population, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

28 May 2007

Seniors and heart disease: Lower cholesterol, cut your risk

A new report from RetireSafe's Senior Center for Health and Security examines how statins can be an effective treatment for lowering cholesterol and cutting the overall risk of heart disease in America's seniors. among Americans.

24 May 2007

Smoking and depression

Based on a Finnish study, persistent smokers may have higher risk to become depressed in comparison to never smokers.

22 May 2007

Drug treatment slows decline in lung function in COPD patients

Treatment with a commonly used drug slows the decline in lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to results from the TORCH (TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health) study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Tuesday, May 22.

22 May 2007

Merits and risks of postmenopausal hormone therapy

The study was categorized as a primary prevention trial for coronary heart disease, although the fact that mean age at recruitment was 63 years was not given enough importance at that time. WHI investigators concluded that hormone therapy (HT) was not cardioprotective, and, in fact, its riskbenefit ratio did not favor the use of postmenopausal hormones for prevention of chronic diseases.

17 May 2007

Household smoking restrictions more strongly associated with better health status than workplace smoking restrictions

In the first study of its kind to evaluate how smoking restrictions in the workplace and at home affect health status, researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health found that nonsmokers who live under both a total household and total workplace smoking ban are over two and a half times more likely to report better health than those without smoking bans.

17 May 2007

Patients with 'bleeding' strokes less likely to receive medications and counseling to prevent recurrent strokes

Patients with a hemorrhagic ("bleeding") stroke are significantly less likely to receive medications and counseling to prevent recurrent strokes compared to patients with an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

11 May 2007

Potential use of spiritual resources for quitting in adult smokers

Unlike many traditional alcohol and drug dependence treatment programs, mainstream smoking cessation programs generally exclude spiritual practice and beliefs from the treatment process.

8 May 2007

Study of fatigue in cancer patients

Fatigue is one of the most common and distressing symptoms cancer patients experience during chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but it's difficult for health care professionals to accurately assess its severity.

4 May 2007

Web-based disease management program improves outcomes for low-income black students

Low-income African-American high school students with asthma who participated in a specially-designed, web-based disease management program reported fewer days and nights with symptoms, fewer school days missed, fewer days of restricted activity, and less hospitalization for asthma during a 12-month follow-up period, as compared to non-participating asthmatic students.

2 May 2007

Doctors ill equipped to confront parent smoking

With the growing concerns of children's exposure to secondhand smoke, it has become more critical than ever to involve health care providers such as pediatricians in educating parents about the potential hazardous health consequences.

2 May 2007