Smoking Cessation Rate and Related Factors of Varenicline in Clinical Practice

Background: Varenicline is recently known as smoking cessation medicine has no results of researches conducted in the actual practice settings except for incipient clinical trials. This research attempted to analyze the factors for smoking cessation by using Varenicline prescribed in the family clinic, and the efficacy of Varenicline. Methods: Brief smoking cessation education was conducted on 140 people who visited the Department of Family Medicine at Dankook University and Varenicline was prescribed for them. This research checked whether smoking was stopped or not after six months and analyzed the factors for succeeding in smoking cessation. Results: Varenicline was prescribed for the 140 people. After six months, 46 smokers were successful in smoking cessation, representing the rate of success of 35.4%, and after 12 months, 31 people of 83 people were successful in smoking cessation, representing the rate of success of 37.3%. The group less smoke than 24.3 cigarettes/day (the average daily smoking amount) has higher quit rate than the group more smoke than 24.3 by 4.9 times. The group takes Varenicline longer than 26.7 days (the average Varenicline dosage period) has higher quit rate than the group takes Varenicline shorter than 26.7 by 4 times. Smoking-cessation rate was 4.5 times when trying to stop smoking by the doctor's recommendation. It was higher than when trying to stop smoking by self-determination. In the multivariate analysis, there were significant relationships in daily smoking amount, dosage and period of Varenicline, and motivation of visits. Conclusion: Varenicline is one of the useful medication for quitting smoking in family practice setting. Better compliance of medicine shows better quitting rate.