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Varenicline Similar to Bupropion in Terms of Cardiovascular Safety

by Dr. Enozia Vakil on Nov 26 2012 12:37 PM
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Varenicline, a drug used for smoking cessation, does not significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease as compared to bupropion, according to a recent publication in the British Medical Journal.

With hectic lifestyles and an increase in stress levels, there has been a substantial rise in the number of people addicted to alcohol or nicotine. With this increase, there has also been a rise in the number of studies and researches conducted on various different ways to combat these addictions. Smoking has been credited the number one fatal health condition that is preventable.

Varenicline and bupropion, two widely used drugs, both efficient in managing nicotine addiction, have now made up as a treatment for around 67% of people addicted to smoking. Varenicline, however, was found to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in some studies. However, most of the studies were based on limited data or showed insignificant results.

A historical prospective cohort study was conducted in Denmark among patients undergoing treatment for smoking cessation with varenicline from 2007-2010; the cardiovascular risk was compared to the risk in those patients prescribed bupropion for the same purpose. The researchers studied the occurrence of both primary cardiovascular ailments like myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and unstable angina, and secondary outcomes like coronary revascularization and heart failure

The study confirmed that the use of varenicline as compared to bupropion is not associated with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, even after 6 months of the start of treatment. Further studies are necessary to establish the cardiovascular safety of varenicline.

Reference:

Use of varenicline for smoking cessation and risk of serious cardiovascular events: nationwide cohort study; Henrik Svanstrom et al; BMJ 2012

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