Tobacco abuse in patients with schizophrenia-first generation vs. second generation antipsychotics treated patients: Results of the clinical study

Abstract

Background:Tobacco smoking is leading preventable cause of death in the United States. High prevalence of cigarette smoking was reported among individuals with mental illnesses, and it is extremely high among patients with Schizophrenia. Aims of this paper were to establish frequency of cigarette smoking among patients with Schizophrenia and determinate the difference in frequencies of smoking among patients with Schizophrenia treated with second generation antipsychotics versus first generation antipsychotics treated group.Methods:Study included 60 patients with Schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics for period of six months or longer. Experimental group included 30 patients treated with second generation antipsychotics, and control group included 30 patients treated with first generation antipsychotics.Results:In this sample was 75% smokers, and out of this 46.6% consume up to 20 cigarettes per day, 40% consume 20 to 40 cigarettes, 8.8% between 40-60 cigarettes, and 4.4% consume over 60 cigarettes per day. There was no significant differences between groups of patients treated with first and second generation antipsychotics.Conclusion:Tobacco smoking is very frequent among patients with Schizophrenia. In this study we did not found significant difference in frequency of tobacco smoking between groups of patients treated with first and second generation antipsychotics.