Anti-smoking drug does not increase risk of depression and heart disease

Previously thought to trigger heart attack and depression, a drug that helps smokers quit, finally got the safe signal according to a new study. Researchers now approve of doctors prescribing the anti-smoking medication – varenicline.

Also known as Cahmpix or Chantix, the drug was thought to make its users more susceptible to heart attacks by previous reports. It was also linked with depression, self-mutilation and even suicide.

The research time examined anonymised health information from more than 150, 000 smokers across England. These patients were prescribed varenicline or another anti-smoking drug or had used nicotine replacement therapy.

After tracking the patients for a period of six months, researchers discovered that people taking either varenicline or buproprion were no more susceptible to suffer a heart attack than those using nicotine replacement therapy.

“On the basis of our extensive analysis, we believe it is highly unlikely that varenicline has any significant adverse effects on cardiac or mental health,” Aziz Sheikh, Co-Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Medical Informatics was quoted as saying by media reports.