Smoking cessation benefits persist in spite of weight gain in patients with mental illness

Addressing multiple risk behaviors may help prevent future increases in cardiovascular risk factors

The weight gain that can result from quitting smoking does not eliminate the reduction in cardiovascular risks associated with smoking cessation among patients with serious mental illness, at least not during the first year. A report from a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team, being published online in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, describes the results of a one-year trial but cannot rule out future health risks associated with continuing weight gain.

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