Another Study Links Chantix to Heart Attack Risk

More bad news for Chantix, the smoking-cessation drug from Pfizer. A new meta-analysis of health studies finds a 72% increase in the risk of congestive heart failure, stroke and other problems among Chantix users.

The findings were published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, less than a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered stronger warnings for the drug's labeling and medical guides.

The lead author of the Canadian study, Sonal Singh of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said the finds are "another reason to consider avoiding Chantix altogether." Singh said smokers "don't need Chantix to quit."

The FDA's warning came after a randomized clinical trial of 700 smokers with cardiovascular disease who were treated with Chantix or a placebo.

While the trial found that Chantix was effective in helping smokers quit, there were also more frequent "adverse events" in patients treated with Chantix rather than a placebo.

The authors of the Canadian study said that while the increased risk of cardiovascular events was slight – 1.06% among Chantix users, 0.82% among those given a placebo – the study nevertheless "raises safety concerns" and suggests further research is needed.