Smoking cessation trials of sustained-release
bupropion (
bupropion SR) were initially conducted in a general population of smokers who were motivated to quit smoking.
Bupropion SR has also been found to be a useful treatment of
tobacco dependence in various special populations of smokers who often experience difficulty in overcoming tobacco addiction. Point-prevalence quit rates at 6 months were higher in those treated with
bupropion SR than in those receiving placebo in studies on smokers with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23% vs 16%) and in those with
cardiovascular disease (34% vs 12%). Abstinence from smoking
after treatment with
bupropion SR was not affected by a history of major depression or
alcoholism. Women treated with
bupropion SR were just as likely as men to abstain from smoking. Approximately one-third of a study population who were initially unwilling or unable to quit smoking were able to reduce their smoking by 50% or more during
therapy with
bupropion SR; 14% of these went on to achieve abstinence.
Bupropion SR was well tolerated in these trials; importantly, it had no clinically significant effect on mean blood pressure in smokers, including those with
hypertension, and attenuated the
weight gain associated with smoking cessation, particularly in women.