Effectiveness of varenicline as an aid to smoking cessation in primary care: an observational study

Although varenicline is commonly prescribed in primary care, information on smoking-related comorbidities and the effectiveness of varenicline in this context in Germany is scarce. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of varenicline in a large sample of patients seeking smoking cessation treatment through their general practitioners. The frequency of comorbidities was also evaluated.

This was a 12-week, prospective, observational, non-comparative phase IV trial conducted in Germany. Abstinence rates at week 12 were evaluated by verbal reporting using the nicotine use inventory.

Overall, 1,391 subjects were enrolled; 1,177 received study medication and were evaluated for effectiveness and safety. At the end of the study, 71.1% (95% confidence interval 68.5-73.7) of subjects were abstinent. There were a total of 205 all-causality adverse events; 2.2% were classified as serious or severe. There were no fatal adverse events. At inclusion, 66.7% of participants had at least 1 concurrent comorbidity, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (35.5%), hypertension (29.6%) and depression (10.4%) being the most commonly reported.

These real-world data indicate that varenicline is an effective and well-tolerated smoking cessation treatment when used in the primary care setting including patients with smoking-related comorbidities.