In recent years, there has been an active campaign against smoking, and an increasing number of smokers have made conscious effort to kick their habit. Quitting smoking, however, is easier said than done, such that there are those who have resorted to taking medication to help them in the smoking cessation process.
In a feature on USA Today, however, a new study has associated the quit-smoking drug Chantix to an increased risk in developing heart problems. Study author Dr. Sonal Singh, an assistant professor of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, shared: “all smokers who take Chantix are at risk for heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event.”
These findings were published July 4th, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The study consisted of a review of 14 studies, which involved more than 8,200 smokers or users of smokeless tobacco; most of the participants of these studies did not exhibit evidence of heart disease. An estimated 4,900 of this population took Chantix, while the rest were given placebo.
The results of the study revealed that 52 of the participants who took the Chantix drug experienced serious cardiovascular events, when compared against those who were only taking the placebo.
Dr. Singh shared further: “Chantix is causing the problems it’s supposed to prevent,” in reference to the fact that smoking is among the risk factors for heart disease.
Chantix manufacturer Pfizer, however, disagrees with the study’s findings, and issued a statement that partly said: “The analysis contains several limitations; most notably that it is based on a small number of events, which raises concerns about the reliability of the authors’ conclusions.”