Evolution Of The Severity Of The Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrom (Nws) Depending On Gender

Introduction: The Nicottine Withdrawal Syndrom (NWS) has a prolonged duration and is the main cause of failure in attempts to quit smoking in the first weeks of treatment. The NWS is influenced by numerous personal variables. The objective of this study is to know the influence of gender in the intensity and evolution of NWS. Material and Methods: According to the calculation of the sample size, 342 patients (176 men and 165 women) who attended the smoking cessation clinic at the University Hospital of Salamanca were studied. An analysis of the evolution of the NWS over time was performed according to the Minnesota Nicotine Withdraval Scale (MNWS) over a period of two months. The Student9s T test was used to analyze the results. Results: In women´s group it is observed that, starting from an initial value average of 12.92, on the first day after cessation there is an increase in intensity to then start a significant decrease from the ninth day, which It continues to decrease progressively until the end of the study (Table 1). In men´s group, starting from an initial mean value of 12.71 a non-significant increase takes place on the first day, to subsequently begin a significant decrease from the seventh day, which continues until the end of the second month (Table 2). Conclusions: The NWS seems to be more intense and take longer to decrease its intensity in women, so in this group it may be necessary to strengthen the therapeutic strategy.