Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a reduced dosage of varenicline on smoking cessation among female patients.
Subjects and Methods: We evaluated and compared the data between the two groups of female participants: 14 who received a reduced dosage of varenicline (0.5 mg/day for 3 days and 0.5 mg 2 or 3 times daily for 12 weeks) and 50 who received the standard dosage (0.5 mg/day for 3 days, 0.5 mg twice daily for 4 days, and 1.0 mg twice daily for 12 weeks). Patient characteristics, rate of nausea, and rate of successful smoking cessation were compared between groups.
Results: Patient characteristics were similar between groups with the exception of height. A reduced dosage of varenicline was associated with a lower incidence of nausea as compared to the standard dosage (15.4% vs. 52.0%; p = 0.004), while there was no significant difference in the rate of successful smoking cessation (92.9% vs. 92.0%; p = 0.70).
Discussion and Conclusion: A reduced dosage of varenicline in female patients for smoking cessation is effective and can decrease the frequency of nausea without jeopardizing the success rate.

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract