Genes Help Kick Habit
Reported June 06, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) The power to quit smoking may be in your genes. For the first time, researchers have identified gene patters that appear to influence how well one responds to specific smoking cessation treatments.
The research was a collaborative effort between Duke University Medical Center, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, University of Pennsylvania and Brown University. Study authors scanned the entire human genome looking for genes that could determine treatment outcomes. They found several genetic variations that seem to indicate likelihood of success or failure of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupropion (Zyban).
Both nicotine replacement therapy and Zyban have helped many people quit smoking, but they use different pharmacological mechanisms to achieve the goal. For this study, researchers analyzed DNA of 550 smokers who were part of a quit smoking study. The participants were randomly assigned to placebo, NRT or bupropion. They recorded who was successful and then found 41 gene variants for smokers who used NRT to quit and 26 gene variants for those who used bupropion to quit smoking.
Study authors say this research provides clues to help doctors match patients with the right treatment choice. Researchers hope a simple blood test could help doctors determine the best way for each patient to quit smoking. There are an estimated 45 million smokers in the U.S.
SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, 2008