By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 20, 2013

A genetic variation that impacts how quickly smokers process nicotine can help predict whether those who try to quit are likely to respond to nicotine replacement therapy, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction.

The gene, however, has very little effect on the success of treatment with the drug buproprion (Zyban), an antidepressant that is often prescribed help people quit smoking by reducing their cravings and other withdrawal effects.

Smokers often struggle with cravings and withdrawal when stopping smoking. said lead researcher Laura Jean Bierut, M.D., professor of psychiatry.

This study gives us insights into who may respond to different types of smoking cessation medications so that we can improve the odds of quitting.

Clinically, we often observe that responses to medication vary from one patient to another, said first author Li-Shiun Chen, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry. To understand those differences, we studied a gene called CYP2A6, which controls nicotine metabolism in our bodies.

It turns out that most of us metabolize nicotine rapidly, but others can metabolize it much more slowly.

Earlier research has shown that roughly 70 percent of individuals have a variation of the CYP2A6 gene that helps them metabolize nicotine quickly, while 30 percent metabolize nicotine more slowly.

Nicotine levels drop more quickly in fast metabolizers after they quit smoking, Chen said.

In slow metabolizers, nicotine stays in the body longer. We have found that fast metabolizers of nicotine are more likely to relapse when they try to quit because when their nicotine levels drop rapidly, they can fall victim to cravings, but theyre also more likely to be helped by nicotine replacement therapy, which can increase nicotine levels and help control those cravings.

More:
In Smokers, Gene Impacts Success in Nicotine Replacement Therapy

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