Autonomic effects of nicotine patch administration in habitual cigarette smokers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using spectral analysis of RR interval and systolic arterial pressure variabilities

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), published as a randomized controlled trial.

The researchers used spectral analysis of RR interval and (noninvasive) systolic arterial pressure (SAP) beat-by-beat variabilities in a crossover double-blind design to assess the autonomic effects of cigarette smoking, of transdermal nicotine, and of placebo.

Why It Was Studied

Nicotine patch administration is often used to sustain tobacco abstinence in smoking-cessation programs.

There is some concern regarding safety issues, as a consequence of the sympathomimetic action of nicotine.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as adults.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), giving a reference point.

Each person switched between Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Administration, Cutaneous, Analysis of Variance, Autonomic Nervous System, Blood Pressure, Electrocardiography, Ganglionic Stimulants and Nicotine.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The publication is from 1998 (Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.