Effectiveness of Combined Tobacco Treatment in Hospitalized Subjects

In the 20th century, tobacco caused the death of 100 million people worldwide and it is estimated that it will be responsible for 1 billion deaths in the 21st century. Currently 8 million people die each year from smoking, 7 million are associated with active smoking, thus being the main risk factor for loss of disability-adjusted life years for men and the ninth most important risk factor for women. In previous studies it has been reported that approximately 21% (14%-30%) of subjects who have required hospitalization are active smokers, being higher in men than in women (28% vs 14%). The initiation of treatment for smoking cessation in this group of subjects has shown an effectiveness rate of up to 65% to maintain abstinence 6 to 12 months after discharge. The effectiveness has been analyzed in scenarios with only brief advice, in some others with the use of medications such as varenicline, bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy, however, the interventions have not been standardized for adequate analysis, which could contribute to the different results.