The short-term use of nicotine replacement therapy among smokers hospitalized for CHD did not affect rates of mortality, length of stay or 1-month readmission, suggesting it is a safe treatment option, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“For years, clinicians have wondered about the safety of nicotine replacement therapy among smokers who are having a heart attack,” Quinn R. Pack, MD, MSc, preventive cardiologist and medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and wellness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School – Baystate, told Cardiology Today. “While prior studies have shown that nicotine replacement therapy is safe as an outpatient and after a hospitalization, our study is the first to show that nicotine replacement therapy has no apparent safety problems when used within the first 2 days of a heart attack, heart stenting procedure or coronary artery bypass surgery.”