Varcencline is Safe to Help People Quit Smoking, No Risk of Heart Attack

Doctors usually prescribe varenicline, also known as Champix or ChantixTM, to help people stop smoking. It is the most effective medication to help smokers quit but previous reports have suggested that users may be more likely to suffer a heart attack. Varenicline has also been linked to depression, self-harm and suicide. However, a new study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh has revealed that smokers can now kick the butt sans worrying as drug does not increase the risks of heart attack and depression as previously thought. This latest research, supports recent studies that failed to find any evidence that varenicline has a negative effect on mental health. Researchers observed that people taking either varenicline or buproprion were no more likely to suffer a heart attack than those using nicotine replacement therapy.

Daniel Kotz, from the Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf, said, "Smokers typically lose three months of life expectancy for every year of continued smoking. The research supports the use of varenicline as an effective and safe tool to help people quit."

The study appeared in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Source-ANI