HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (17) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by da Costa, C. L. Articles by Lourenço, M. T. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by da Costa, C. L. Articles by Lourenço, M. T. C.

Stopping Smoking^*

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study Comparing Nortriptyline to Placebo

^* From the Departments of Psychiatry (Drs. da Costa and Lourenço) and Thoracic Surgery (Dr. Younes), A.C. Camargo Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil.

Correspondence to: Célia Lídia da Costa, MD, Department of Psychiatry, A.C. Camargo Cancer Hospital, Rua Prof. Antonio Prudente, No. 211, 01509–010 São Paulo, S.P., Brazil

Objective: The administration of antidepressant drugs was shown to positively affect the rate of smoking cessation. This study evaluates the efficacy of nortriptyline in an antismoking program.

Methods: A possible randomized double-blind study that included 144 patients who were randomized to receive nortriptyline, 75 mg/d (68 patients), or placebo (76 patients), during 6 consecutive weeks. All patients attended behavioral group orientation for 5 weeks. The rate of success, complications, adherence to the regime, and factors of pretreatment prognosis were evaluated (multivariate analysis).

Results: The groups were balanced in relation to the characteristics of the patients on entering the study. Patients receiving nortriptyline showed significantly higher cessation rate (55.9%) compared to the group receiving placebo (23.3%; p < 0.001). In a univariate analysis on prognosis factors influencing the rate of cessation in our study, the Fagerström test results (p = 0.005) and nortriptyline (p < 0.001) were identified. Logistic regression showed that a Fagerström test score of < 7 (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47 to 6.7; p = 0.003) and nortriptyline use (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 2 to 8.3; p < 0.001) were independent factors impacting the rate of success for smoking cessation. No significant complications were observed in the nortriptyline group.

Conclusion: This study showed that nortriptyline significantly increases the smoking cessation rate in chronic smokers, as compared to the placebo group, without any significant side effects.

Key Words: nortriptyline • smoking cessation • tobacco

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. V. Prochazka, S. Kick, C. Steinbrunn, T. Miyoshi, and G. E. Fryer A Randomized Trial of Nortriptyline Combined With Transdermal Nicotine for Smoking Cessation Arch Intern Med, November 8, 2004; 164(20): 2229 - 2233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Jimenez-Ruiz, J. I. De Granda Orive, C. L. da Costa, R. N. Younes, and M. T. Lourenco Success Rates for Nortriptyline Chest, August 1, 2003; 124(2): 768 - 769. [Full Text] [PDF]

				From the Library Br. J. Ophthalmol., February 1, 2003; 87(2): 252 - 252. [Full Text] [PDF]