Study Finds No Increased Risk With Chantix

A new study has found no clear increased risk of suicide or depression from a drug that helps people quit smoking. U.S. labels for varenicline (Chantix) warn that it could increase the risk of behavior changes. Depression, thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts are among the changes listed. The study used a database of 80,660 people. All had been prescribed a product to help them quit smoking. Nearly 11,000 used varenicline. Researchers found no clear increased risk of suicidal thoughts, self-harm or depression in this group. But researchers said the study was too small to provide a definite answer. They said it’s possible that a larger study would find that varenicline doubles suicide risk or even cuts it in half. The journal BMJ published the study. HealthDay and Reuters news services wrote about it October 2.