Medication may help heavy-drinking smokers improve their health

This study confirms that medications can play a role, Ray said, but she noted that it can be challenging for patients to take more than one prescribed medication.“Varenicline alone is doing a great job, and this trial indicates that there is not much room for naltrexone to make a difference,” Ray said. “But even medications like varenicline have their limitations. Medication is only part of the solution. There remains much research to be done on addict ions and how to treat them.”Ray says that those who wish to quit smoking and reduce drinking may consider talking to their doctor about the possibility of using varenicline, and she recommends that they try to quit smoking and reduce their drinking at the same time.“There is evidence that varenicline can help them with both,” Ray said. “Varenicline appears quite effective at reducing drinking and helping people to quit smoking. Given that varenicline has been found to reduce drinking in trials for alcohol use disorder, it is possible that its effects on both drinking and smoking present an optimal alternative for this group of heavy-drinking smokers.”ReJoyce Green, a UCLA doctoral student in clinical psychology who works with Ray, and Karen Miotto, a UCLA clinical professor of psychiatry and the medical director of the clinical trial, are among the study ’s 14 authors.The clinical trial and Ray ’s research are funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alco...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news