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| New Stop Smoking Drug |
Question:
I heard about a new drug that has shown great promise in helping people stop smoking. Is this true?
Answer:
A new drug in the final stages of testing shows promise in
attacking two of humanity's biggest killers by helping people quit
smoking and lose weight at the same time.
The drug, which could be available in a year or two, works by an
entirely new approach - by blocking the same primeval circuitry in the
brain that gives pot-smokers the munchies.
Doctors who heard data on the new drug said that while better living
habits should still be the foundation of good health, a new pill could
be an important boost for those who cannot accomplish it through
willpower alone.
One study found the drug rimonabant helped people drop 20 pounds in a year, while
the other concluded it doubles smokers' success at quitting, at least in
the short run. Doctors said the drug is likely to be marketed both for
dieting and smoking cessation, but it is likely to be especially
appealing to people beset by both problems.
Overeating and smoking can overstimulate this system, which in turn
propels them to eat and smoke still more. By temporarily blocking the
body's ability to receive these signals, experts believe they can return
the system's working to normal.
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