Smoking cessation and weight gain

Recent studies have led to new insights into the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma, including appreciation of the potential role of human herpesvirus-8 infection and further characterization of some of the cytogenetic abnormalities present in this disease. New strategies to optimize the use of allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation include the development of various immunotherapeutic techniques to enhance the antitumor effect, and, in the case of allogeneic transplantation, to reduce toxicity. In addition, increasing evidence supports the role of biphosphonates in preventing the bone destruction typical of this disease, and possibly in improving the survival of certain groups of patients.     

Smoking cessation and weight gain.

Investigated determinants of weight gain after quitting smoking in 2 smoking treatment outcome studies in which 255 Ss (mean age 37 yrs) participated. It was hypothesized that (a) abstinence would result in weight gain; (b) postquitting weight gain would be predicted by pretreatment tobacco use, a history of weight problems, and eating patterns; and (c) relapse to smoking would follow weight gain. The 1st 2 hypotheses were confirmed. Year-long abstainers gained more weight than relapsers. Most of the weight gain occurred during the 1st 6 mo following quitting. Number of cigarettes smoked at pretreatment and past maximum body weight correlated positively with weight gain. Scores on a measure of eating control in specific situations, especially emotional ones, explained 27% of the variance in weight gain among abstinent Ss at a 1-yr follow-up. A measure of persistent hunger also predicted weight gain at a 1-yr follow-up. Eating disinhibition scores, number of cigarettes smoked at pretreatment, and maximum body weight were not correlated among Ss abstinent for the year. Disinhibition score and maximum body weight, however, correlated positively in the entire sample of Ss. Contrary to the 3rd hypothesis, greater weight gain during the 1st mo predicted continued abstinence, not relapse. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation with alternative methods

Almost every former smoker has ceased smoking by himself. Everybody has collected his own experience with it and tried different methods to avoid withdrawal symptoms and the urge to start smoking again. During the last decades, many different methods for the therapy of smoking cessation have been applied. These techniques were often developed with the help of individual experiences. Many times, there is a lack of a scientific ground and verifiable investigations for these activities. The most important parameter for the smoking cessation is the clear and strong intention to quit. This intention may be supported by different methods. The mental requirements are discussed and the numerous methods and drugs available to quit smoking are described.     

Smoking cessation among self-quitters.

Examined cessation among 630 smokers who quit abruptly on their own. Continuous, complete abstinence rates were 33% at 2 days, 24% at 7 days, 22% at 14 days, 19% at 1 mo, 11% at 3 mo, 8% at 6 mo postcessation, and 3% at 6 mo with biochemical verification. Slipping (smoking an average of less than 1 cigarette/day) was common (9% to 15% of Ss) and was a strong predictor of relapse; however, 23% of long-term abstainers slipped at some point. Results challenge beliefs that most smokers can initially stop smoking and that most relapse occurs later on postcessation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation programme for self-motivated patients

Mr Mitchell felt that each weekly session had provided him with the impetus to continue for another week. He showed great determination to succeed and followed the recommended method, adapted to suit his own lifestyle. I felt professional satisfaction knowing that I had played a significant part in his transition from smoker to non-smoker. The method I used with Mr Mitchell was effective. However, it is only one of many methods available to smokers and health professionals. At present 22 patients have booked in for stop-smoking sessions. Six have completed the six sessions and of those, three remain non-smokers six months later. All three were self-referred and therefore highly motivated. Even one success is one more towards achieving the Health of the Nation target and is well worth the time and effort involved.     

Smoking cessation treatment for patients with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: This study was an uncontrolled trial to assess the efficacy of a smoking cessation group program modified for individuals with schizophrenia. METHOD: Fifty outpatients with schizophrenia were divided into five groups who met separately for seven weekly sessions of a smoking cessation program. The subjects' schizophrenic and extrapyramidal symptoms were assessed before the group sessions began and after they had been completed. Assessments of smoking were made at those times and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of the subjects had stopped smoking at the end of the group sessions; 16% remained abstinent at 3 months, and 12% at 6 months. These changes were statistically significant. There was no change in the positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that it is possible for individuals with schizophrenia to stop smoking.     

Smoking cessation treatment: Any progress?

Argues that, although smoking rates are declining and quit rates are increasing, research on behavioral approaches to smoking cessation is stagnant. Despite an increase in publications on smoking cessation, few innovative approaches have been introduced in the past decade. Furthermore, average treatment outcomes have not improved over this period. Treatment innovations may come from research that aims at fundamental new insights regarding smoking behavior and smoking behavior change rather than from incremental improvements of current approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation in pregnancy. Intervention among heavy smokers

OBJECTIVE: Human recombinant leukemia inhibitory factor (rLIF) has been shown to stimulate hatching of murine and ovine embryos in vitro. The temporal and dose-dependent effects of murine rLIF (mrLIF) and human rLIF (hrLIF) on embryo development in two different mouse strains were investigated in this work. METHODS: Two-cell embryos were recovered from the fallopian tubes of superovulated/mated females and cultured in Krebs medium plus bovine serum albumin in microdroplets under oil. RESULTS: In the B6CBF1 strain, mrLIF significantly stimulated blastocyst formation and decreased embryo fragmentation/degeneration when added simultaneously at the initiation of culture or 24 hours thereafter. Human rLIF also had a positive effect on development. In the CD1 strain (lower fecundity), mrLIF dose-dependent effects were observed, with enhanced developmental stimulation achieved with higher doses. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm that hrLIF stimulates mouse embryo development in vitro and that different mouse strains show distinct responses to the cytokine. In addition, mrLIF enhances blastocyst formation and decreases embryo fragmentation when added to the embryo culture as early as the two-cell stage.     

Smoking cessation improves insulin sensitivity in healthy middle-aged men

Cigarette smokers have recently been shown to exhibit insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and markers of the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking cessation on insulin sensitivity and IRS. Forty male, non-obese healthy smokers participated in this open parallel study with 8 weeks of follow-up. Seventeen subjects were able to stop smoking, while 23 subjects continued to smoke and served as a controls group. Anthropometric and metabolic data were measured. Degree of insulin sensitivity was determined with the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique. Smoking cessation increased insulin sensitivity and improved the lipoprotein profile in spite of a modest increase in body weight. Initial smoking habits correlated positively with the increase in BMI as well as the improvements in the metabolic variables after smoking cessation. These data support the view that smoking causes insulin resistance and IRS, and also demonstrate that the beneficial metabolic effects of smoking cessation override the effects of an accompanying modest increase in body weight.     

Smoking cessation and severity of disease: The Coronary Artery Smoking Intervention Study.

Tested the effectiveness of an individually delivered behavioral multicomponent smoking intervention (SI) against offering advice only (AO) to 267 patients (aged 30–75 yrs) after coronary arteriography. After 6 mo, 51% of AO Ss and 62% of SI Ss reported abstinence. Validated rates were 34% and 45% for AO and SI Ss, respectively. At 6 mo, the SI had the most effect for Ss with more severe coronary artery disease (CAD) who had been admitted with a myocardial infarction even after controlling for baseline characteristics such as stage of readiness for change, sex, and self-efficacy. At 12 mo follow-up, only severity of disease mediated SI effects. Similar results were seen for cotinine-validated cessation. Data confirm the effectiveness of individually administered SI for more seriously ill patients with CAD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation in peri- and postmenopausal women: A review.

A substantial portion of smokers are peri- or postmenopausal women. Cigarette smoking and menopause have overlapping negative health consequences and may act synergistically to contribute to worse health outcomes in this population. Little is known about issues specific to peri- and postmenopausal women attempting to quit smoking; however, it can be hypothesized that they face unique challenges in quitting smoking. Particularly, negative affect and vasomotor menopausal symptoms may make smoking cessation particularly challenging in this group of women. Peri- and postmenopausal women are also more prone to weight gain following smoking cessation, and concerns about postcessation weight gain may contribute to reduced motivation to quit smoking or to relapse to smoking. Recent evidence suggests that estrogen level may be positively associated with nicotine reward, which may aid in the smoking cessation efforts of postmenopausal women while possibly contributing to worse outcomes in perimenopausal women. Unfortunately, no known studies have compared premenopausal women with peri- or postmenopausal women on smoking cessation outcome variables. Studies in postmenopausal women indicate that hormone therapy (HT) use does not affect nicotine withdrawal, smoking cessation outcomes, or weight gain following smoking cessation; however, a lack of randomized trials limits the strength of these conclusions. Evidence of the effects of HT on mood following smoking cessation is conflicting. Further research is needed to identify the unique factors influencing smoking cessation in peri- and postmenopausal women and to develop and test interventions that target these variables in a way that improves cessation rates among this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation: clinical steps to improve compliance

Smoking tobacco contributes to and exacerbates many chronic diseases of aging, including hypertension, stroke, COPD, heart disease, and atherosclerosis. It is also associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers and of cancers of the lungs and oral cavity. Older patients generally continue to smoke because of physiologic and psychological addiction to nicotine. Nicotine administration through gum or patch eases the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal for highly-tolerant patients. Detecting and treating alcohol abuse, depression, or life stress may then make it easier to motivate the patient to quit smoking. Physician advice combined with follow-up visits and phone calls has been shown to be one of most effective methods of getting patients to stop smoking.     

Smoking cessation: Progress, priorities, and prospectus.

The authors review developments in understanding smoking cessation interventions over the past decade. Noteworthy is the unprecedented growth of research and knowledge that has left a deeper understanding of how best to use new and existing behavioral and pharmacologic tools and strategies to help smokers quit. The status of public-health-level interventions is evaluated, questions are raised concerning their efficacy, and suggestions are offered for further refinement of these intervention strategies. Development of cessation guidelines is reviewed, and the state of knowledge concerning behavioral and pharmacologic interventions is summarized. The authors also present agendas for behavioral and pharmacologic research related to smoking cessation and discuss individual difference factors among smokers that may prove to be important in designing new and refining existing treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation quitlines: An underrecognized intervention success story.

Quitlines providing telephone counseling for smoking cessation derive from behavioral research and theory, have been shown to be effective, and have been adopted and then institutionalized at both the state and national levels. Although psychologists have made seminal contributions to quitline development and evaluation, this accomplishment has gone largely unnoticed by the practice and research communities in clinical, counseling, and health psychology. This article summarizes the development, content, structure, empirical status, and current reach of cessation quitlines. We note the rich research opportunities afforded by quitlines, describe some recent approaches to improving their effectiveness, and suggest that an understanding of how quitlines work could also improve their effectiveness. The implications for practitioners and the potential application of telephone counseling to other disorders are also considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking cessation increases the resistance of low-density lipoprotein to oxidation

The effects of smoking cessation on the susceptibility to oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was investigated in 14 men who quit smoking for 3 months. LDL was isolated and susceptibility of LDL to V-70 (4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvalerinitrile)-mediated oxidation was assessed by measuring conjugated diene production at 234 nm, the lag phase being a measure of the resistance of LDL to oxidation. The mean duration of the lag phase became 1.9-fold longer after 3 months (P < 0.001). The result suggests that the increase in resistance of LDL to oxidation contributes to the reduction of the risk of coronary heart disease by smoking cessation.     

Attributional processes in behavior change and maintenance: Smoking cessation and continued abstinence.

If individuals attribute smoking cessation to external factors, they may be less able to maintain abstinence over time. To examine the role of attributions in initial and long-term behavior change, we manipulated the externality of treatment by comparing self-help manuals with and without a drug component and by comparing the motivational orientation of three programs (intrinsic self-help, intrinsic gum, extrinsic gum). We examined attributions for success or failure with treatment, the effects of treatment on initial cessation and on long-term maintenance of nonsmoking, and the effects of attributions on maintenance. Subjects receiving nicotine gum were superior to the intrinsic self-help group in initial cessation but were inferior in maintaining abstinence. Subjects in the intrinsic self-help group made fewer external attributions for success and remained abstinent longer, thus providing support for the attributional mediation of treatment effects on maintenance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)