Factors associated with successful treatment of smoking

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the success of smoking cessation treatment, according to sex, comorbidities and treatments used. Method: Retrospective, descriptive study of the results obtained after analyzing the sample of all patients who attended the “Specialized Smoking Treatment” Unit in the University Hospital of Albacete from the 1st of January 2008 until the 31st of December 2009 and the subsequent posterior year follow-up. Results: 838 patients sent from Primary Care and Pneumology Service were included. 53.7% were men. The average age of the sample was 46.18 years. The average daily cigarette consumption was over a pack daily with 27.30 cigarettes per day. Most of the patients had comorbidities; among which was psychiatric comorbidity (37.7%), cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs); among which the most common factor was dyslipidemia followed by hypertension and diabetes, and respiratory comorbidity (COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma and chronic carriers of Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy). The global success in patients who attended the first consultation was (13.8%), while the success in patients who did not abandon the study without starting the treatment was 27.6%). With the variable “Respiratory Diseases / Cardiovascular Diseases” (RD/CVD) it was observed that having a respiratory or a cardiovascular disease does not influence the success of smoking cessation. There are hardly any differences in the success probability according to whether the patient is suffering or not hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, psychiatric disorder, alcoholism or neoplasias. However statistical difference between success and the possibility of being diagnosed or not with SAHS was observed (p <0.028). Nor were found differences regarding the number of previous attempts to quit before starting the treatment and success. Moreover, the success was calculated according to the number of cigarettes smoked per day, but no statistically significant difference was found for a 95% confidence interval. Conclusions: In our study, cardiovascular or psychiatric comorbidities have no influence on quitting smoking success