Antipsychotic medication and smoking prevalence in acutely hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia

The atypical antipsychotic, clozapine, has been reported to reduce smoking in schizophrenic patients. We sought to determine whether other atypical an tipsychotics would also be associated with a decreased prevalence of smokin g in this population. Data were obtained from three groups of chronic, hosp italized, schizophrenic patients, receiving either a typical antipsychotic (n=15), clozapine (n=6), or another atypical antipsychotic (n=18). In addit ion to smoking prevalence, the groups were compared with regard to demograp hics (age, education), medication (doses, duration of treatment, side-effec ts), clinical (diagnosis, duration of illness) and behavioral (Wide-Range A chievement Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) variables. Smoking prev alence differed significantly among the three groups (P<0.001). Clozapine w as associated with a significantly lower incidence of smoking than either t ypical drugs (P <0.003)or other atypical antipsychotics (P=0.042). The grou ps did not differ on demographic or other medication variables or on any of several behavioral measures. However, a diagnosis of paranoid schizophreni a was also significantly correlated with smoking (P<0.01), but not with med ication class. Although the cause is still unknown, these results are consi stent with reports that clozapine reduces smoking and provide new data on s moking prevalence associated with other atypical agents. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.