Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objectives
Combined smoking and heavy drinking is a significant health burden. Varenicline, an efficacious tobacco pharmacotherapy that also shows promise for drinking, has yielded mixed results among heavy-drinking smokers. This pilot study investigated integrated tobacco and alcohol counselling plus varenicline for this vulnerable group.Design
Twelve-week parallel, randomized controlled pilot trial of two behavioural interventions in combination with open-label varenicline. Participants were randomized using computer-generated tables, stratified by sex.Setting
Outpatient academic medical centre research clinic.Participants
Volunteers who reported smoking and heavy drinking and sought tobacco or alcohol treatment (N = 26). Intervention. (1) Integrated tobacco + alcohol counselling (INT; n = 13) or (2) counselling focused on their presenting concern (i.e., tobacco or alcohol) (SINGLE; n = 13), plus varenicline (2 mg) for 12 weeks.Main outcomes
Feasibility/acceptability, smoking quit rates and heavy drinking.Results
INT feasibility/acceptability was high among men but not women. More participants quit smoking in INT than SINGLE. This outcome was only in men, not significant, but had a medium effect size. Both conditions yielded significant drinking reductions.Conclusion
Integrated tobacco and alcohol behavioural counselling plus varenicline may be feasible and promote smoking cessation among men who smoke and drink heavily, but a larger sample is needed to replicate this finding.
SUBMITTER: Fucito LM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7731353 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Fucito Lisa M LM Wu Ran R O'Malley Stephanie S SS Hanrahan Tess H TH Ikomi Jolomi T JT Muvvala Srinivas S Carroll Kathleen M KM Gueorguieva Ralitza R
Journal of smoking cessation 20200318 3
<h4>Objectives</h4>Combined smoking and heavy drinking is a significant health burden. Varenicline, an efficacious tobacco pharmacotherapy that also shows promise for drinking, has yielded mixed results among heavy-drinking smokers. This pilot study investigated integrated tobacco and alcohol counselling plus varenicline for this vulnerable group.<h4>Design</h4>Twelve-week parallel, randomized controlled pilot trial of two behavioural interventions in combination with open-label varenicline. Par ...[more]