Americans Resolve To Get Healthy

New Years Resolutions included plans to lose weight

, financial and stress management, and the ever popular, quit smoking vows of personal improvement. Millions of Americans make resolutions each year, with smoking consistently falling among the top three most popular resolutions.

Tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable disease and death in United States, effecting close to 46 million Americans. Furthermore, the health and financial benefits have prompted more than 49 percent of adults who have ever smoked since 1965

to quit smoking, according to the American Heart Association. For those who have resolved to quit smoking in 2010, these statistics are encouraging.

Within the first several months of the year, an estimated 75 percent of people will break their resolution. Many people turn to their doctor for help to quit smoking, and studies have shown that smokers who take smoking cessation medication have had higher success rates than individuals who quit cold turkey.

Many physicians have turned to popular smoking cessation medications, varenicline, marketed as Chantix, and bupropion, sold as Zyban, to help reduce withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. In lieu of nicotine replacement therapies, Chantix and Zyban are commonly prescribed. Chantix, the most popular of the medications, made $846 million in 2008.

However, the help of medication may not be worth the risks. The side effects of Chantix have included depression, psychiatric complications, mood swings and, in some cases, suicide. More than 100 suicides have been linked to the medication, although there may be more suicides that occurred as a side effect of Chantix that have not been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This has prompted many family members of Chantix patients to seek a Chantix lawyer to develop an often time consuming Chantix lawsuit to receive monetary compensation.

The FDA issued a black box warning in July 2009 for Chantix and Zyban requiring additional labels notifying patients of the increased risk of suicide and other irrational behavior side effects. The FDA issues black box warnings as the final precaution to patients before a recall is deemed necessary. Many patients continue to take their prescribed smoking cessation medication despite the risks.

Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix has maintained that the deaths and side effects are a result of nicotine withdrawal, although patients who continued to smoke while taking the medication demonstrated unusual or irrational behavior. The FDA will continue to evaluate the safety of Chantix.

by: Katie Kelley

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