Study suggests gender differences in quitting smoking.(Brief Article)

2003 APR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The idea that men are from Mars and women are from Venus has received another boost, as researchers have discovered that sex differences may play a role in trying to quit smoking.

A new report on smoking cessation and gender suggests that women smokers have a higher behavioral dependence on cigarettes and a lower nicotine dependence than men. The authors recommend that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioral treatment be specifically tailored to women to increase their chances of quitting for good.

"Our study showed that women appear to have higher behavioral and lower nicotine dependence than men," said study lead author Abraham Bohadana, MD, research director, French National Institute of Health. "The nicotine inhaler may be a good tool for women as it not only provides nicotine craving relief but also seems to satisfy the 'hand-to-mouth' habit smokers are used to."

The French study, published in the February 2003 issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research, also demonstrated that men trying to quit smoking had a higher success ...