Exercise May Help Smokers Quit According to Austrian researchers, exercise-training therapy is an effective smoking cessation aid without side effects. The new study examined whether exercise-based interventions combined with a smoking cessation program are more effective than a cessation program alone. Sixty-eight smokers participated and were randomly given either nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine replacement therapy with exercise training for three months. Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and exhaled carbon monoxide were measured. While significant cigarette cessation was achieved in both groups, 80 percent in exercise training quit smoking, compared with 52 percent in the nicotine replacement therapy group. Researchers conclude that exercise training together with nicotine replacement therapy is feasible and aid smoking cessation. Stressful Events Should Not Prohibit Smoking Cessation Stressful life events do not decrease a smoker's chances of quitting the habit, a new study reveals. Researchers from North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems examined the impact of stressful life events in 1,330 smokers being treated for tobacco dependence. Self-reported information, including medical history, quitting obstacles, quit attempts, and current major stressors, were gathered on day one, via questionnaires. Using a carbon monoxide monitor, quit status was determined at 30 days and one year. Forty-one percent of smokers experienced one or more major stressful events during treatment, such as change in marital status and change in job. Though stressed smokers were more likely to "light up when upset" at 30 days, 50 percent quit, compared with 60 percent of nonstressed smokers. At the one-year mark, there was no difference shown in quit success. Researchers conclude that many smokers who reported major stressful event during treatment were able to successfully quit; therefore, stressful life events should not be a smoking cessation obstacle. Chronic Cough and Sputum Linked to Secondhand Smoke According to a new study, secondhand smoking is associated with chronic cough and sputum production. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, studied the association of secondhand smoking and respiratory symptoms in 139 patients from a Veterans' Administration Medical Center who underwent left ventricular ejection fraction measurements for clinical reasons. The presence of chronic cough, sputum production, and secondhand smoking, and association between the three were evaluated. Compared with controls, secondhand smokers showed a significant association with chronic sputum production and also showed a trend toward an increased prevalence of cough. Clinical implications suggest that secondhand smoking has a deleterious effect on lung function. ### CHEST 2006 abstract briefs Contact: Jennifer Stawarz

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