Clinical Trials

Seventy smokers who are currently alcohol dependent will be enrolled to this study. If found to be study eligible they will be randomized to either active varenicline or placebo for 12 weeks. During these two weeks, they will be seen either weekly or biweekly. At the end of treatment, they will be followed up for an addition 12 weeks. Their last study visit will be 6 months after randomization.

This study is an extension protocol for study A3051123. No treatment is provided during this study. This study is to monitor for cardiovascular events 28 weeks after completion of A3051123. This study is an extension protocol for study A3051123. No treatment is provided during this study. This study is to monitor for cardiovascular events 28 weeks after completion of A3051123.

Nearly 50% of U.S. cigarette smokers smoke ≤ 10 cigarettes per day (CPD) and are considered "light smokers." Most light smokers will either maintain a chronic light smoking habit or increase their level of smoking during their lifetime. Importantly, light smokers are at risk for adverse health consequences and increased all-cause mortality. While multiple factors such as reinforcement behavior, diminished autonomy, economic constraints and tobacco control policies influence light smoking, nicotine dependence appears particularly important in 5 to 10 CPD smokers. Despite the high prevalence of light smoking and its increased healthcare burden, few studies have evaluated the efficacy of pharmacotherapy for this group of smokers. Varenicline, which targets symptoms of nicotine dependence, has been shown to increase smoking abstinence rates in moderate to heavy smokers (≥ 10 cigarettes per day). However, varenicline has not been evaluated in subjects who smoke < 10 CPD. In the current proposal we will investigate the efficacy of varenicline for smoking cessation in 5 to 10 CPD light smokers who wish to quit. This study will be conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic, enrolling 224 eligible participants who smoke 5 to 10 CPD. Participants will receive behavior therapy and either varenicline or placebo for 12 weeks with follow up through 26 weeks. We will determine if varenicline increases smoking abstinence in light smokers at end-of-treatment and 26 weeks as compared to placebo.

This study is being done to learn the helpfulness of a telephone-based program for support persons living in MN who are worried about a cigarette smoker living in MN.  This study will help support person learn new ways to be supportive as well as encourage a smoker to call the QUITPLAN Helpline.  The QUITPLAN Helpline is the tobacco Helpline for the state of Minnesota.  Research shows that Helpline?s are an effective way for smokers to quit or make a plan to quit.  The person you want to support does not need to be interested in or even thinking about quitting smoking in order for you to be in the study.   If the smoker does choose to call QUITPLAN, they are eligible for free services (counseling and/or nicotine replacement therapy) for seven months.  The seven months starts on the date of support person enrolling into our study.

The study is being done to determine whether an in-hospital intervention using a brief intervention to facilitate quitline utilization will increase quitline utilization by hospitalized smokers, and will increase post hospital discharge smoking abstinence rates. Study participants will be randomized to receive either a brief quitline facilitation intervention , or a control intervention of a brief stop-smoking message. The study will also compare healthcare costs and utilization in the first six months following hospitalization between the two groups.

This study is being conducted to assess varenicline and bupropion as aids to smoking cessation treatment in subjects with and without an established diagnosis of major psychiatric disorder and to characterize the neuropsychiatric safety profile (pre-specified adverse events (AEs) in both of these populations).

Smokers have three choices when faced with surgery: keep smoking, quit for a short time around surgery or quit for good. In the first specific aim, a decision aid was designed to help facilitate the discussion of these choices between smokers and healthcare providers. This second aim will test whether this decision aid improves the decisional quality compared with standard methods used to discuss perioperative smoking.