Cardiovascular adverse events associated with smoking-cessation pharmacotherapies

Curr Cardiol Rep. 2015 Jan;17(1):554. doi: 10.1007/s11886-014-0554-8.

Abstract

Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable deaths in the USA, accounting for one in every five deaths every year, and cardiovascular (CV) disease remains the leading cause of those deaths. Hence, there is increasing awareness to quit smoking among the public and counseling plays an important role in smoking cessation. There are different pharmacological methods to help quit smoking that includes nicotine replacement products available over the counter, including patch, gum, and lozenges, to prescription medications, such as bupropion and varenicline. There have been reports of both nonserious and serious adverse CV events associated with the use of these different pharmacological methods, especially varenicline, which has been gaining media attention recently. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the various pharmacotherapies used in smoking cessation and analyzed the evidence behind these CV events reported with these therapeutic agents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Benzazepines / administration & dosage
  • Benzazepines / adverse effects*
  • Bupropion / administration & dosage
  • Bupropion / adverse effects*
  • Chest Pain / chemically induced
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / chemically induced
  • Nicotinic Agonists / administration & dosage
  • Nicotinic Agonists / adverse effects*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Quinoxalines / administration & dosage
  • Quinoxalines / adverse effects*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Smoking Cessation / methods*
  • Smoking Prevention*
  • Tachycardia / chemically induced
  • Varenicline

Substances

  • Benzazepines
  • Nicotinic Agonists
  • Quinoxalines
  • Bupropion
  • Varenicline