[Smoking cessation in case of chronic kidney disease].

Smoking is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. In France, despite increase of cost of cigarettes and exclusion of smoking in public places, daily smoking consummation remains high, particularly in women and young. Now, smoking is considered as a compartmental and/or psychologic and/or physic addiction.

Comparison of the effects of a 24-hour nicotine patch and a 16-hour nicotine patch on smoking urges and sleep.

This randomized, open-label, crossover study was conducted to compare the effects of a 24-hr nicotine patch and a 16-hr nicotine patch on morning smoking urges and sleep quality of dependent smokers during a short period of cigarette abstinence. A total of 20 smokers (9 women and 11 men) smoking at least 20 cigarettes/day completed the two smoke-free study periods. For each period, cigarette abstinence started on the first evening and a nicotine patch was applied the next morning (for 16 or 24 hr), after baseline measures; a second patch was applied the next morning, 1 hr before the end of the experimental period.

[Behavioral and cognitive therapy for social phobia in a smoker].

Introduction: Social phobias are associated with nicotine addiction, and treatment for them can enable the patient to stop smoking.

Case: A patient seeking treatment to stop smoking was found to have a social phobia, which was treated with behavioral and cognitive therapy. At the end of this treatment, the patient spontaneously and without aids stopped smoking.

[Stopping smoking and constipation].

Introduction: Among the symptoms that may occur with smoking withdrawal, constipation is relatively frequent, but little studied.

Case: Three women reported that constipation developed when they stopped smoking and improved during transient relapses.

Discussion: This constipation sometimes produces serious functional disorders and can induce relapse.

[Psychosocial distress and stressful life antecedents associated with smoking. A survey of subjects consulting a preventive health center].

Background: The relationship between smoking and various socio-demographic or socio-economic factors, as well as the interactions between depressive mood and smoking are already known. However, the respective contribution of psychological factors and stressful life antecedents during childhood and adolescence warrants further specification.

Methods: 2315 consecutive subjects, aged 16 to 59, consulting for a free work-up in a preventive health centre, supported by the National French Health insurance system, were invited to fill out a series of questionnaires: the GHQ-28 and the LOT, respectively measuring psychosocial distress and dispositional optimism, as well as a questionnaire on socio-demographic, socio-economic and biographical data.

Long-term exposure to nicotine modulates the level and activity of acetylcholine receptors in white blood cells of smokers and model mice.

Long-term consumption of tobacco by smokers causes addiction and increases the level of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain, a phenomenon known as up-regulation. Here, we show that up-regulation of specific nAChR subunits takes place in white blood cells (WBCs) of smokers and mice subjected to long-term administration of nicotine. The basal level of alpha-bungarotoxin binding site, which corresponds to the homomeric alpha7 nAChR subtype, was not affected in WBCs of both smokers and mice administered nicotine.

Lazabemide, a selective, reversible monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, as an aid to smoking cessation.

Background: Previous research has shown that smokers have reduced brain and platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) activity. This is probably due to some components of tobacco smoke. When smokers quit, MAOB activity returns to normal.

[Behavioral and cognitive therapy to break the smoking habit. Review of the literature].

Nicotine addiction is a chronic disease characterized by frequent relapse. Pharmacological and psychological factors are involved and must be specifically addressed in addicts under treatment. Physicians are familiar with pharmacological treatment with nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion, but not with psychological approaches such as behavioral and cognitive therapy.