While the list of side effects smoking can cause is quite long, researchers now believe kicking the habit may bring on heart problems. Scientists at Johns Hopkins say those who use Chantix, a popular medication used to help people quit, may lead to those problems.
The problem
The study says, “Healthy, middle-aged smokers who take the most popular smoking cessation drug on the market have a 72 percent increased risk of being hospitalized with a heart attack or other serious heart problems compared to those taking a placebo.”
“People want to quit smoking to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but in this case they’re taking a drug that increases the risk for the very problems they’re trying to avoid,” says Sonal Singh, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the lead author of the research.
The importance of quitting
Researchers stress the importance of quitting, however, they believe Chantix may not be the best way to go about it. They point to decades of smokers dropping cigarettes through dedication and a true desire to have a healthier life. While quitting “cold turkey” can push people back to smoking, researchers say support groups or other medications may help.
Zyban, another tool
Zyban is a prescription medication designed to help smokers quit more easily than without the drug. It comes in a pill form. Unlike nicotine patches or nicotine gum, Zyban does not put more nicotine into your body. With this medication you continue to smoke when you first start taking the medication, eventually reaching a quit-date, and taking the drug for a period of time after quitting.
If you are interested in trying Zyban, it is available through Edrugstore, a safe and convenient online pharmacy.
