Tobacco smoking is the first removable cause of illness and premature mortality in the world. The most effective therapeutic approaches for tobacco addiction are individual or Group Counselling Therapy (GCT), Bupropion Therapy (BT) and nicotine replacement therapy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combined use of GCT and BT in helping smokers to quit the habit during a one-year follow-up. From January 2001 to December 2002, 229 subjects (44% males, median age 46.6 yrs) were recruited. There were no significant differences between males and females, except that the males smoked more cigarettes /day (27.6 vs. 23.0 P<0.01) and 73% were married. Most subjects were in their late forties, had a high school education and regular employment and more than 80% had a family history of tobacco smoking. After an individual motivational interview subjects started a six-week group counselling program for smoking cessation and ten days before the "quitting day" were asked to begin a seven week pharmacotherapy consisting of 150 mg of sustained-release BT tablets (twice a day). Subjects were called in by counsellors after 3, 6 and 12 months to know about their smoking habits. One hundred ten (52%) subjects accepted BT, while the remaining chose GCT only. Rate of abstinence was 82% one week after treatment, decreased to 74% one month later, to 62% at three months and to 54% at the six-month follow-up. One year later 48% of the subjects were still abstinent. During the six-week program only 50 subjects complied with BT (BT-COMP group), whereas 60 did not (BT-NONCOMP group). Both BT groups achieved a higher abstinence rates if compared to the sole GCT group and there were no significant differences between the two BT groups. At the one-year follow-up, abstinence rates were 68% and 57% respectively in BT-COMP and BT-NONCOMP groups, whereas 35% was the quit rate of the GCT sole group (p<0.01, Pearson’s chi square, GCT vs. both BT groups). Our study demonstrates that combined BT and GCT doubles smoking cessation rate as compared with the sole GCT at one-year follow-up. Interestingly, BT-COMP and BT-NONCOMP groups did not achieve significantly different abstinence rates, thus suggesting that the choice of pharmacotherapy option, which reveals a high motivation to quit smoking, seems to be highly predictable for a positive outcome.
Counseling and bupropion therapy, when combined, achieve highest rates of smoking cessation: a one-year follow-up study / Grassi, Maria Caterina; Enea, Domenico; Marchetti, R; Nencini, Paolo. - (2006), pp. 142-142. (Intervento presentato al convegno 32° Congresso Nazionale della Società Italiana di Farmacologia tenutosi a Napoli nel 1-4 giugno 2005).
Counseling and bupropion therapy, when combined, achieve highest rates of smoking cessation: a one-year follow-up study
GRASSI, Maria Caterina;ENEA, Domenico;NENCINI, Paolo
2006
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is the first removable cause of illness and premature mortality in the world. The most effective therapeutic approaches for tobacco addiction are individual or Group Counselling Therapy (GCT), Bupropion Therapy (BT) and nicotine replacement therapy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combined use of GCT and BT in helping smokers to quit the habit during a one-year follow-up. From January 2001 to December 2002, 229 subjects (44% males, median age 46.6 yrs) were recruited. There were no significant differences between males and females, except that the males smoked more cigarettes /day (27.6 vs. 23.0 P<0.01) and 73% were married. Most subjects were in their late forties, had a high school education and regular employment and more than 80% had a family history of tobacco smoking. After an individual motivational interview subjects started a six-week group counselling program for smoking cessation and ten days before the "quitting day" were asked to begin a seven week pharmacotherapy consisting of 150 mg of sustained-release BT tablets (twice a day). Subjects were called in by counsellors after 3, 6 and 12 months to know about their smoking habits. One hundred ten (52%) subjects accepted BT, while the remaining chose GCT only. Rate of abstinence was 82% one week after treatment, decreased to 74% one month later, to 62% at three months and to 54% at the six-month follow-up. One year later 48% of the subjects were still abstinent. During the six-week program only 50 subjects complied with BT (BT-COMP group), whereas 60 did not (BT-NONCOMP group). Both BT groups achieved a higher abstinence rates if compared to the sole GCT group and there were no significant differences between the two BT groups. At the one-year follow-up, abstinence rates were 68% and 57% respectively in BT-COMP and BT-NONCOMP groups, whereas 35% was the quit rate of the GCT sole group (p<0.01, Pearson’s chi square, GCT vs. both BT groups). Our study demonstrates that combined BT and GCT doubles smoking cessation rate as compared with the sole GCT at one-year follow-up. Interestingly, BT-COMP and BT-NONCOMP groups did not achieve significantly different abstinence rates, thus suggesting that the choice of pharmacotherapy option, which reveals a high motivation to quit smoking, seems to be highly predictable for a positive outcome.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
