Guanfacine may help with smoking cessation

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, have found that guanfacine, a selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist, may be effective for smoking cessation. For the study, smokers received either guanfacine or placebo. Results showed that participants treated with guanfacine reduced smoking by 70% and had an improved ability to resist smoking when dealing with stress. Due to this medication's ability to decrease stress and improve cognition, the researchers are now studying whether guanfacine would be especially effective as a smoking cessation aid in women because women are more likely than men to smoke following stress. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to smoke cigarettes to satisfy a craving.

Guanfacine is indicated for the treatment of patients with hypertension alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents, typically thiazide diuretics, under the brand name Tenex, and is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an extended release formulation, brand name Intuniv, as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients aged 6 to 17 years.