Symptoms in smokers trying to quit

AIMS: To describe the prevalence and intensity of different symptoms in relation to tobacco abstinence. To explore latent dimensions between symptoms in smokers trying to quit. DESIGN: A cross sectional study using a questionnaire to retrospectively assess symptoms over a period of 12 months. SETTING: Swedish telephone quitline, a nationwide free of charge service. PARTICIPANTS: All 741 individuals who had called the quitline and signed up for smoking cessation treatment between February 2000 to November 2001 and reported to have been smoke free for at least 24 hours during the previous 12 month period from first contact. MEASUREMENTS: Assessments were made by self-report, and abstinence was defined as "not a single puff of smoke during the last week". A factor analysis approach where individual items aggregate into factors was used to explore the relationship between the different symptoms. FINDINGS: High intensity of symptoms related to unsuccessful quitting attempts and included craving, irritability, apprehension/anxiety, difficulties concentrating, restlessness, depression/depressed mood, and insomnia. The factor loadings of all 17 symptoms resulted in three factors with factor 1, psychological being the most important. High scores on this factor relates to unsuccessful quitting attempts. Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for 5 weeks or longer, reduced symptoms included in factor 1. The other two factors were factor 2 physiological and factor 3 neurological. CONCLUSION: Symptoms that are psychological and/or neurological in nature are interrelated and appear to be the most significant obstacles for successful quitting attempts in a population-based setting. These symptoms may be successfully treated with NRT.NonePublishe

Symptoms in smokers trying to quit

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>To describe the prevalence and intensity of different symptoms in relation to tobacco abstinence. To explore latent dimensions between symptoms in smokers trying to quit.</p> <p>Design</p> <p>A cross sectional study using a questionnaire to retrospectively assess symptoms over a period of 12 months.</p> <p>Setting</p> <p>Swedish telephone quitline, a nationwide free of charge service.</p> <p>Participants</p> <p>All 741 individuals who had called the quitline and signed up for smoking cessation treatment between February 2000 to November 2001 and reported to have been smoke free for at least 24 hours during the previous 12 month period from first contact.</p> <p>Measurements</p> <p>Assessments were made by self-report, and abstinence was defined as "not a single puff of smoke during the last week". A factor analysis approach where individual items aggregate into factors was used to explore the relationship between the different symptoms.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>High intensity of symptoms related to unsuccessful quitting attempts and included craving, irritability, apprehension/anxiety, difficulties concentrating, restlessness, depression/depressed mood, and insomnia. The factor loadings of all 17 symptoms resulted in three factors with factor 1, psychological being the most important. High scores on this factor relates to unsuccessful quitting attempts. Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for 5 weeks or longer, reduced symptoms included in factor 1. The other two factors were factor 2 physiological and factor 3 neurological.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Symptoms that are psychological and/or neurological in nature are interrelated and appear to be the most significant obstacles for successful quitting attempts in a population-based setting. These symptoms may be successfully treated with NRT.</p

Targeted expression of GLI1 in the salivary glands results in an altered differentiation program and hyperplasia

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a regulator of salivary gland morphogenesis, but its role in postnatal glands has only recently begun to be addressed. To examine the effects of deregulated Hh signaling in the salivary gland, we expressed the Hh effector protein GLI1, in salivary epithelial cells using both cytokeratin 5 and mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) transgenic systems. Ectopic pathway activation resulted in restrained acinar differentiation, formation of cystic lesions, and prominent appearance of ductal structures. Moreover, induced expression of GLI1 aids the formation of hyperplastic lesions, which closely resemble GLI1-induced changes in murine skin and mammary glands, suggesting that GLI1 targets cells with similar characteristics in different tissues. Furthermore, GLI1-expressing salivary epithelial cells are actively dividing, and GLI1-induced lesions are proliferative, an incident accompanied by enhanced expression of the Hh target genes, cyclin D1, and Snail. GLI1-induced salivary lesions regress after transgene withdrawal and become histologically normalized. Taken together, our data reveal the ability of GLI1 to modulate salivary acinar differentiation and to promote proliferation of ductal epithelial cells