OTC nicotine patches
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Use of SmithKline Beecham's NicoDerm CQ smoking cessation patch (21 mg) results in better heart rate variability (HRV) among post-MI patients than individuals randomized to a placebo patch, Phyllis Stein, Washington University School of Medicine, et al., report in a poster presented at the ACC meeting in Anaheim March 12-15. The study compared the HRV effect of smoking cessation among 18 people - nine wearing the NicoDerm patch and nine the placebo - for a four-week period. Holter recordings were taken at baseline and at the end of the month. "Smoking cessation using transdermal nicotine patches compared with quitting cold turkey resulted in more 'favorable' changes in HRV," the researchers state. The findings suggest the need for further study in a larger population, Stein et al. conclude