Does smoking cessation with varenicline worsen vascular endothelial function?

ABSTRACT: A meta-analysis suggested that the use of varenicline, which is a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and is effective in smoking cessation, increases the risk of cardiovascular events within 52 weeks of starting treatment. Defining these events as occurring during drug treatment (usually for 12 weeks) or within 30 days of discontinuation, another meta-analysis showed that the risk was statistically insignificant. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the effect of varenicline-assisted smoking cessation on vascular endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). Before-after and time-series. Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Data of 85 participants who visited nicotine-dependent outpatient services were reviewed. FMD was repeatedly measured in 33 of the 85

SUBMITTER: Umeda A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3693419 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature