Why Is Smoking So Hard to Give Up?

If you asked a hundred smokers how they quit – or why they couldn’t – you may get an equal number of different answers. Christine Metz, PhD, is a scientist at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research who is trying to identify some of the factors that play into a smoker’s decision to quit. In collaboration with the Center for Tobacco Control, she is examining the effect of smoking cessation on inflammatory responses in female smokers at risk for cardiovascular disease. The grant, funded by the American Heart Association, could lead to improved understanding of the smoking cessation process and the development of more effective smoking cessation programs. Heart disease is the number one killer in women, and behavioral changes can go a long way to prevent many of these deaths. Smoking is a major risk factor. Smoking, Dr. Metz and others have shown, triggers the release of a cascade of inflammatory mediators that can, in turn, increase a person’s chances of developing heart disease. Here is how the story unfolds. Smoking is associated with an elevation of a substance in the body called C-reactive protein (CRP), a major marker of inflammation, as well as other inflammatory factors. Elevated levels of these mediators suggest that inflammation is brewing somewhere in the body, Dr. Metz said.

In July 2005, she began her collaboration with The Center for Tobacco Control, which is part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. They wanted to understand why many people can’t quit smoking. Dr. Metz thought that the body undergoes an inflammatory response to quitting, which could present an obvious obstacle to their success. (Less than 10 percent of people can quit smoking on their own, while 'assisted' medical and psychological treatments have success rates of about 30 percent.)

If Dr. Metz and her colleagues are right about this heightened inflammatory response on the heels of quitting, they should be able to look in the blood and measure inflammatory markers. In quitters, they expect these inflammatory markers to eventually drop over the 4 month study period. Dr Metz is also looking to see whether there are major differences in inflammatory markers between people who go on to quit smoking compared to those who do not succeed in quitting. 

For this study, they recruited 45 women between the ages of 35-75 who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day and had risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, and/or abdominal obesity. All participants wanted to quit smoking and participated in a smoking cessation program at the Center for Tobacco Control.  This program is the only free smoking cessation program available in Nassau County. Participants pay for the treatment medications, but not for counseling). The program receives referrals from The American Cancer Society, The American Lung Association, The Nassau Department of Health, The Suffolk County Department of Health, The New York State Smoker’s Quitline, and the physicians/nurses of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (NSLIJHS). Study subjects filled out a health history and blood was collected at the initial visit and again within the first 72 hours of quitting. As part of the smoking cessation study, they were given the option to use a nicotine patch and/or Zyban, which is an antidepressant shown to have beneficial effects on blocking nicotine cravings.

At the end of 18 weeks, 30 percent of the women were not smoking. As they anticipated, several inflammatory markers did drop over time in 'quitters'.  While the results are still being analyzed, Dr. Metz and her colleagues did find that those who were successful in quitting had lower C-reactive protein levels during the initial visit than those who continued to smoke despite the treatment. (Counseling was also provided)

“Maybe there are immunological differences in people who can quit and those who can’t,” said Dr. Metz. If she is right, measuring these inflammatory mediators early on and during the smoking cessation process may prove to be important in designing a treatment that be tailored to a person’s biology. What’s more, if smokers received their inflammatory mediator 'scores' during the quit process and saw some of these decline, it might be a strong incentive to stop smoking.  She also stored genetic material from each smoker and will study the RNA and DNA that helps tell the story of the activity of immune markers.

The Staff at the Center for Tobacco Control and Dr. Metz are also conducting another study funded by the New York State Department of Health on smokers with very early signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This new study will include an additional smoking cessation drug, Chantix. They will also measure immune markers during the smoking cessation process.

“It is very important to figure out how to help women stop smoking,” said Virginia Reichert, a nurse practitioner at the Center for Tobacco Control whose been working with Dr. Metz in these studies. Reichert just presented data from another study on the health status, motivation and obstacles of people trying to quit. The information was culled during a 6-week comprehensive out-patient smoking cessation program. It included over 2000 smokers. She said that they found that health issue didn’t scare them into stopping, but identifying a person’s fears about quitting worked to help them stop. The study was presented in October at the annual scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians. Abstracts of the findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December. For more information on the risks of smoking visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org.

Comments

[exuberance]

Very informative piece about the physical effects of smoking. Just as important are the desire, motivation and commitment to become a non-smoker. Anyone who chooses to stop smoking is doing themselves a great favour.

Kind regards,

Dave Sabat.

Smoking Cessation Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis Blog

[Andy Sufrin]

Take the 4-step smoking challenge battle plan to stop smoking today. Worked for me!

[Alexis Kenne]

Chest or arm pain or discomfort can be a symptom of heart disease and a warning sign of a heart attack. Shortness of breath (feeling like you can’t get enough air), dizziness, nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), abnormal heartbeats, or feeling very tired also are signs. Chest pain or discomfort (angina ) is the most common symptom. You feel this pain when the heart is not getting enough blood or oxygen.

[quit-smoking-niccine-drug]

Niccine: a new approach to quit smoking

This is a different approach to the quit smoking problem similiar to by the drug maker Pfizer's Chantix Swedish anti-nicotine vaccine to be tested in Nordic countries "A Swedish vaccine against nicotine will be tested on 400 people in three Nordic countries," Heavy smokers who would like to quit, will get counselling along with the new drug, initial test will run for 4 months.

Niccine is supposed to help the immune system build antibodies against nicotine. Interesting approach to the problem: Niccine will latch onto the incoming nicotine and preventing it from reaching the brain's reward system, thereby preventing the smoker from getting that addictive smoking "kick" or hit.

Niccine, has been developed over the course of 10 years by Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute, under the guidance of professor Torgny Svensson who founded Independent Pharmaceutica.

This is a different approach to the quit smoking problem used by Pfizer's Chantix should I use Chantix or wait for Niccine ? Quit smoking, smoking cessation drugs,smoking cessation medicine

www.chantix-smoking.blogspot.com

[QuitSmokingOnSunday]

I have found there are three key components that are required to quit smoking. First there must be some important event in the smokers life that triggers an urgent need to stop smoking. Then the smoker must find a method of quiting that he/she can personally put faith in that it will work. The third component is having a strong support group that circles around the smoker to provide encouragement and hope.

[Peter Lachland]

Hey, Pete here.

Interesting "observation" (uh-oh Pete's using a bog word)

In my own experience of quitting (I managed to quit quite easily -- BOOYAH! after using something which I won't explain here) I think it's important to realise...

And admit to yourself that you actually DO have a fear of not smoking.

The second thing that is VERY VITAL to this is to actually put in the effort...

By this I mean make a goal and then STICK TO THE GOAL.

FORGET about patches, gum, hypnosis, therapy and all this other crap...

I think the real secret is...

Admitting you have a problem, putting in some hard work, setting a pratical goal and then working towards it is how you will quit... It's how I quit.

Ok I think my comment is getting a little long long but one more thing...

LET'S TAKE DOWN THIS NICOTINE SON OF A GUN!

haha I'm in a weird mood aren't I...

Pete ;)

Oh yeah, visit my site... I have a 96% success rate in helping people quit so yeahhh...

http://QuittingMadeEasy.com/

[how to quit smoking]

Quiting is not easy at all. Its proably that hardest things to do in life. However its a smart thing too do if you want to live a longer life. You wont get sick as often as well.

[Lorelei F]

Good information. I will remember it. Also don't forget that cessation is inherently hard in that cravings increase exponentially when the receptor sites get too little of the substance. You might try your study with cold turkey quitting and see what the difference is.

[Abdul Kader Ismail]

Yes, Quit smoking will never going to be easy as you think, it requires lot sef confidense and desire to achieve it, though lot of new treatments available from laser to nicotine patches to herbal products, you may need to selective on treatements because not all the treatments will work for all, you should try few things in order to quit smoking.

[Josh Neumann]

Very informative; while I agree that finding effective smoking cessation programs is important, by far the most important factor is a commitment to stop smoking.
Someone who not going to give up until they find a way t stop will find a way to succeed with even a less effective prgoram, whereas somebody without that commitment won't stop even with the best program.

[Steve W]

Great article. I started smoking American Spirits before I actually stopped smoking altogether. They don't have all of the chemical additives the commercial smokes do. So at least I didn't have to withdraw from the chemicals and the nicotine at the same time. That's really tough.

[TommyB]

I would like to add, I think society has aided in our decision to start smoking as well as our decision to quit smoking now. If we made a decision to start, that begs the question can we make a decision to stop for good and be successful at it.
I have seen it happen over and over again people deciding to quit therefore they stop with no after effects. It was the same for me, I chose a method which eliminated the after effects before they could even become a consideration.
I wish all the best of luck that they can find what works for them and quit for good to enjoy life once and for all!
Blessings!

[JoanieB]

I remember when my husband tried to quit smoking.
He wanted so much to learn how to quit smoking fast and rid himself and his family of the effects. Actually it was many times he tried and after showing such anger and frustration after a about 4 or 5 days he would smoke again just so there would be peace in our home. I really felt bad for him, every little things would set him off. But when he smoked he was calm. I thought something was wrong about this, something was backwards. Our friends and his associates at work would always talk about how hard it was and talk how to quit smoking fast was nearly impossible.
Until one day I wanted to find something on the internet that would help and I did. It was a miracle. When I told my husband about it first thing that morning. I told hi to go look at what I found on the internet. I let him be and later that morning I didn't see him smoking. I waited and watched him. He was happy, in a great mood and on into the afternoon I still didn't see him smoke.
He was doing things around the house I had been nagging him to do for years. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Later that day after supper I pretended to play stupid and I told him, "I noticed something different about you today, what is it?" He smiled and said, you mean you didn't notice? "I said I noticed you have been so happy and not smoking once today." That was the beginning of the rest of our beautiful life together.
I welcome you to our blog and hope you can have the same life changing experience of how to quit smoking fast.