Researchers have identified a genetic variant that may influence how well a person responds to a drug called varenicline, used to help people quit smoking.

Quit Smoking: Cigarettes are an addiction that eats away at the body from the inside, many people try to quit this habit, but not everyone succeeds. A study has identified genes that may play a role in how the anti-smoking drug varenicline helps humans quit smoking. Varenicline, which is widely used to help quit smoking, mimics nicotine by binding to specific proteins in brain cells, blocking the effects of smoking and reducing cravings. 

is affected by genes

However, many researchers, including the University of Leicester in the UK, said that this drug does not work for everyone. Lead researcher Kayesha Coley of the University of Leicester said, "Our study is the first to scan the whole genome to look for genes associated with successful quitting smoking using varenicline."

The study, published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, looked at health records in databases such as the UK Biobank to identify people who quit smoking with varenicline and those who did not. A genetic analysis found variants - small changes in someone's DNA - that were associated with a person's risk of successfully quitting cigarettes after using varenicline.

What were the results of the study?

The study authors wrote, "We provide initial insights into the biological basis of varenicline-assisted smoking cessation by implicating genes involved in different processes, including gene expression." The authors said the findings help to understand someone's response to varenicline, although more studies are needed.

Kayesha Coley said, "The genes give us some useful insights about different biological processes, but the next step is to prove our findings with even larger studies." The study participants were part of the 'Extended Cohort for e-Health, Environment and DNA' (EXCEED) study based at the University of Leicester. Genetic analysis was also done on the health records of people from other national and international cohort studies, including Estonia, who have also submitted genetic data.

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