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Journals / Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 11 Issue: 1

Retrospective evaluation of COVID-19 incidence during smoking cessation treatment with varenicline

Sigara Bırakma Tedavisi Olarak Vareniklin Kullanan Hastalarda COVID-19 Insidansının Retrospektif Değerlendirilmesi

Elif Barış(İZMİR EKONOMİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-6838-7932
Gökçen Ömeroğlu Şimşek(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2724-0616
Aylin Arici(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-2221-9356
Mukaddes Gümüştekin(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-7761-2919
Oğuz Kılınç(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-8923-4476
Metiner Tosun(İZMİR EKONOMİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2233-5720
Pages
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Publication Date
2024-03-27
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusions: Patients under smoking cessation treatment did not develop COVID-19 during the period of varenicline use compared to non-users suggesting that the medication may have a protective role in the development of COVID-19 which might be further investigated by clinical trials.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Background: Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway endogenously controls inflammatory processes through activation of the α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR).
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Key Findings & Data:Varenicline, used in smoking cessation therapy, is a full α7nAChR agonist with anti-inflammatory effects.
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Conclusion & Impact:Conclusions: Patients under smoking cessation treatment did not develop COVID-19 during the period of varenicline use compared to non-users suggesting that the medication may have a protective role in the development of COVID-19 which might be further investigated by clinical trials.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:COVID-19 · SARS-CoV-2 · Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway endogenously controls inflammatory processes through activation of the α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). Varenicline, used in smoking cessation therapy, is a full α7nAChR agonist with anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the frequency of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was evaluated in patients using varenicline as a smoking cessation treatment. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, records of the 111 patients admitted to Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic of Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic were evaluated. The development of COVID-19 disease according to the status of the patients being positive for SARS-COV-2 was evaluated comparatively in patients who received varenicline or not. Additionally, the disease symptoms were questioned. Results: SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was not detected in any of 38 patients who regularly used varenicline out of 68 patients evaluated. SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was detected in 13 (43.3%) of 30 patients who received other treatments or irregularly used varenicline (p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients under smoking cessation treatment did not develop COVID-19 during the period of varenicline use compared to non-users suggesting that the medication may have a protective role in the development of COVID-19 which might be further investigated by clinical trials.

Özet

Giriş ve Amaç: Kolinerjik anti-inflamatuar yol, α7-nikotinik asetilkolin reseptörünün (α7nAChR) aktivasyonu ile inflamatuar süreçlerin endojen kontrolünü sağlamaktadır. Sigarayı bırakma tedavisinde kullanılan vareniklin, bir α7nAChR’lerine agonist etkisi ile anti-inflamatuvar etkiler ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Bu çalışmada sigara bırakma tedavisi olarak vareniklin kullanan hastalarda koronavirüs hastalığı (COVID-19) görülme sıklığı değerlendirilmiştir. Yöntemler: Bu retrospektif kesitsel çalışmada, COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Sigara Bırakma Polikliniği'ne başvuran 111 hastanın kayıtları değerlendirilmiştir. SARS-COV-2 PCR pozitif olan hastalarda COVID-19 gelişimi ve hastalık belirtileri, vareniklin kullanan ve kullanmayan hastalarda karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Değerlendirilen 68 hastadan düzenli olarak vareniklin kullanan 38 hastada SARS-CoV-2 PCR pozitifliği saptanmamıştır. Sigara bırakma amacıyla farklı tedavileri alan veya düzensiz vareniklin kullanan 30 hastanın 13'ünde (%43,3) SARS-CoV-2 PCR pozitifliği saptanmıştır (p<0,001). Sonuç: Sigarayı bırakma tedavisi gören hastalarda, vareniklin kullanmayanlara hastalara kıyasla düzenli vareniklin kullanımı süresince COVID-19 gelişmemesi, bu da ilacın COVID-19 gelişiminde koruyucu bir rolü olabileceğini düşündürmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Barış, E., Şimşek, G. Ö., Arici, A., Gümüştekin, M., Kılınç, O., Tosun, M. (2024). Retrospective evaluation of COVID-19 incidence during smoking cessation treatment with varenicline. Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, Volume: 11 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.34087/cbusbed.1276244

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