JAMA Netw Open

Smoking cessation therapy remains underused in patients with peripheral artery disease

February 26, 2026

A retrospective analysis of over 107,000 smokers with newly diagnosed symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) found that only 3.2% filled a varenicline prescription following diagnosis, despite varenicline being the most effective smoking cessation medication. Fill rates were slightly higher among commercially insured patients (4.2%) compared with Medicare beneficiaries (3.0%). Use of other cessation aids was similarly low, with over-the-counter nicotine replacement documented in just 1.2% of patients and bupropion in 0.3%. The findings highlight significant gaps in both prescribing practices and patient uptake of evidence-based cessation therapies in this high-risk population.

Clinical takeaway: Clinicians should routinely prescribe smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, particularly varenicline, to all patients with PAD who smoke, as cessation significantly reduces disease progression, amputation risk, and cardiovascular events.

Source:

Cohen KR, et al. (2026, February 2). JAMA Netw Open. Rate of Pharmacotherapy for Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Patients With New Peripheral Artery Disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41729525/