Research

A pilot study to assess smokeless tobacco use reduction with varenicline
A preliminary study on the use of varenicline as a treatment to reduce smokeless tobacco use suggests that the drug may be useful in reducing or eliminating smokeless tobacco use, even among users who have no plans to completely quit. Twenty male smokeless tobacco users were treated with varenicline for twelve weeks. At the end of the twelve weeks and again six months after the study began, they were asked about their tobacco use and given urine cotinine tests if they indicated tobacco abstinence. At twelve weeks, twelve participants had reduced their smokeless tobacco intake by at least half, and three had confirmed total abstinence from tobacco. After six months, ten participants had reduced their smokeless tobacco intake by at least half, and two were abstinent from tobacco. All subjects who reduced their intake reported that their success in reducing their tobacco use had increased their motivation and confidence in being able to continue reducing smokeless tobacco use and to quit. The findings of this pilot study suggest that using varenicline to aid in the cessation of smokeless tobacco use should be further explored. Click here to read the study abstract, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Quitting smoking helps after serious heart attack damage
New research shows that heart attack patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction can benefit from quitting smoking, despite the existing damage to the heart’s main chamber. Researchers followed 2,231 patients with LV dysfunction for an average of three and a half years, tracking their smoking status and occurrence of heart attacks, heart failure, and death. When controlling for other factors, the researchers found that smoking cessation was associated with a 40% reduction in overall death risk and that quitters were 30% less likely to have a repeat heart attack or be hospitalized for heart failure during the study period. The benefits of smoking cessation in this study were similar to those seen in heart attack patients without LV dysfunction, indicating that smoking cessation should be promoted among patients with and without the complication. Click here to read more, or read the abstract of the study, published in The American Journal of Cardiology.

Partner smoking characteristics: Associations with smoking and quitting among blue-collar apprentices
A new study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine suggests that blue-collar workers with partners who support smoking cessation are more likely to successfully quit than those without support from their partner. Longitudinal data from the MassBUILT smoking cessation intervention were used to investigate smoking status, partner smoking status, and partner’s requests to stop smoking from 1,213 participants three times over the course of 6-9 months. Data analysis showed that smokers were thirteen times more likely to have partners that smoked than nonsmokers, and having a partner that smoked was associated with lowered odds of smoking cessation after one month. A partner’s request to quit was significantly associated with increased odds of stopping smoking both at one month after the intervention and at six months post-intervention. These results indicate that support from a partner might improve cessation outcomes among blue-collar workers, and that support from a partner may be a useful component of smoking cessation interventions. Read the study abstract here.

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Reports

New study finds positive return on investment for states that invest in quit smoking treatments
The American Lung Association has released a new study that indicates states can both save lives and reap economic benefits by offering smoking cessation coverage. Researchers at Penn State University compared the costs of providing cessation services, including the costs of medications, counseling services, and lost tax revenue, to the economic benefits of having fewer people smoke, including savings related to medical costs, workplace productivity, absenteeism, and premature death. The analysis showed that smoking costs the U.S. economy $18.05 per pack of cigarettes, resulting in a total of over $301 billion of annual losses due to: workplace productivity losses ($67.5 billion), premature deaths ($117 billion), and medical expenditures ($116 billion). Additionally, the study illustrated that for each dollar a state spends on smoking cessation benefits, the average return on investment would be $1.26. The data support recommendations by public health agencies that encourage states to offer comprehensive smoking cessation benefits to Medicaid recipients and state employees, and to require private insurance plans and employers to do the same. Click here to read more, or access state-specific data here.

Preventive services can save lives at little or no cost
A new study from the National Commission on Prevention Priorities (NCPP) shows that preventive health services could save two million lives and nearly $4 billion annually. To determine the value of preventive health services, the estimated cost of adopting twenty proven preventive services (including immunization, counseling, and screening services) was compared to the estimated amount of healthcare expenditures that could be saved from their use. Analysis showed that if the use of these twenty preventive services had increased from current levels to 90% in 2006, $3.7 billion in personal health care spending would have been saved. Most of the savings would come from four services: tobacco cessation screening and assistance, discussing daily aspirin use, and alcohol screening with brief counseling. If utilized by 90% of the U.S. population, each of those three services plus colorectal cancer screening would have saved over 100,000 years of life. The results suggest that effective clinical preventive services can improve health and save money. Read more here, or click here to read the abstract of the article in Health Affairs.

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