Simple DNA tests may improve the success rate for smoking cessation. That's one of the findings of a major research study published in the June 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Sean P. David, MD, SM, DPhil, the director of Memorial Hospital's Primary Care Genetics Lab and Translational Research Center, and an assistant professor of family medicine at Brown University, is a co-author of the report. He says, "This is "the first genome-wide study of the efficacy of bupropion (Zyban) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation."
The research team used a technique known as genome-wide association scans to compare DNA extracted from the blood of smokers who were either successful or unsuccessful in quitting using bupropion or NRT in the form of a nicotine patch or nasal spray. Certain clusters of gene variants were present more frequently in the successful quitters. The genetic variations in those who were successfully treated with bupropion were different from those who were helped by NRT.
Raymond Niaura, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown, was the principal investigator of the Rhode Island component of the study. Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania were the other locations for the study.
