Smoking cessation products pose no serious heart risks

Nicotine replacement gums and patches or popular drugs prescribed to help people quit smoking such as Chantix may not harm the heart in users, according to a study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

In recent years, there has been concerns that some smoking cessation products may have serious cardiovascular risks.

But in the largest analysis of side effects of three major smoking cessation products, serious heart events didn't increase with nicotine replacement gums and patches, the nicotine addiction treatment Chantix, and the antidepressant Wellbutrin, the researchers said.

The new study looked at 63 clinical trials, which comprised 30, 508 people, and found that overall, smoking cessation is associated with improved cardiovascular health, increased life expectancy, improved quality of life and reduced healthcare costs for smoking-associated conditions.

"Undoubtedly, the benefits of quitting smoking outweigh any potential risks from smoking cessation therapies," said Edward Mills, study co-author and associate professor of medicine at Stanford University and Canada Research Chair at the University of Ottawa.