A few days ago, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a study of 14 clinical trials for the smoking cessation drug Champix.
More than 8,200 participants were taking the Pfizer drug known as Champix in Canada and Chantix in the U.S. Researchers noted a slight increased risk for cardiovascular problems, compared to participants who took a placebo.
"We found that around 52 of the 4,908 on Chantix got heart attacks, serious heart problems, whereas only 27 of the 3,308 (on placebo) got serious heart problems," said lead author Dr Sonal Singh of John Hopkins University Medical Center.
Dr Andrew Pipe, clinical director of the smoking cessation program at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute disagreed with Singh’s recommendation that people avoid the drug, stating that the risk is so low, that at 2 percent, even the reported 72 percent increased side effects result in a difference of 0.24 percent.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that the risk for patients with cardiovascular disease taking the prescription drug was found to be two per cent, compared to one per cent for those taking a placebo.
Health Canada said it was reviewing the information. People who are thinking about quitting smoking were advised to discuss their options with a health-care professional.