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Public health
Research
Effectiveness of varenicline and counselling for smoking cessation in an observational cohort study in China
  1. Bin Jiang1,
  2. Yao He2,
  3. Fang Zuo1,
  4. Lei Wu2,
  5. Qing-Hui Liu3,
  6. Li Zhang4,
  7. Chang-Xi Zhou3,
  8. K K Cheng5,
  9. Sophia S C Chan6,
  10. Tai Hing Lam7
  1. 1Nanlou Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  2. 2Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing key laboratory of Aging and Geriatrics, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  3. 3Nanlou Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Department of Respiration, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  4. 4Nanlou Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  5. 5Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  6. 6School of Nursing, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  7. 7Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health and The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  1. Correspondence to Professor Yao He; yhe301{at}sina.com

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of varenicline for smoking cessation in Chinese smokers in a real world cessation clinic practice.

Design A prospective observational study.

Setting Beijing, China.

Participants A total of 924 smokers (883 men and 41 women) who attended a smoking cessation clinic of a large general hospital were assessed with data from structured questionnaires at baseline and follow-up at 1, 3 and 6 months. Trained physician counsellors provided free individual counselling for all subjects and follow-up interviews with brief counselling. 332 subjects additionally prescribed varenicline according to their own choice were compared with those without varenicline.

Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes were self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate and 3-month continuous abstinence rate at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates at 1 and 3-month follow-up, and 1-month continuous abstinence rate at 3-month follow-up.

Results By intention-to-treat, the 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate with varenicline and counselling at 6 months was significantly higher than counselling only (37.0% vs 23.1%; OR, 1.75; 95% CI 1.46 to 2.62; p=0.001). The 3-month continuous abstinence rate at 6 months was higher with varenicline (33.1% vs 18.4%; OR, 2.04; 95% CI 1.61 to 2.99; p<0.001). Varenicline also showed better secondary outcomes.

Conclusions Varenicline prescription in the smoking cessation clinic appeared to be effective with doubling of quit rates in Chinese smokers in a real world cessation clinic practice.

Clinical trial registration NCT01935505; Results.

  • PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
  • EPIDEMIOLOGY
  • PUBLIC HEALTH

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009381

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