Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy sedentary smokers (> 4 per day for at least one year)
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Must be able to give informed consent
- Must live in the area for the next 3 months
- Willing to use the nicotine patch to attempt smoking cessation
- Must receive consent to participate from primary care physician
Exclusion Criteria:
- Cannot read or write fluently in the English language
- Pregnancy or plans to attempt pregnancy
- 60 minutes or more per week of moderate or vigorous physical activity
- Smokes cigars, pipes, or uses smokeless tobacco at least once per week
- Currently in a quit smoking program
- Currently using NRT of any kind or using any other quit smoking method or treatment
- Never had an adverse reaction to the nicotine patch resulting in discontinuation of
use
- Poor willingness or inability to comply with protocol requirements
- An employee of the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine
- Previous participant in Commit to Quit or Fit to Quit smoking cessation studies
- Another member of the household is or has been enrolled in this study
- Currently taking a medication that might impact heart rate response, including but
not limited to:
Acebutolol Atenolol Carvedilol Metoprolol Nadolol Pindolol Propranolol Timolol
Medical problems:
- Cardiac disease of any kind such as angina, a history of myocardial infarction or
valve disease including mitral valve prolapse. Anyone with an interventional
procedure such as a stent
- Pain, discomfort (or other anginal equivalent) in the chest, neck, jaw, arms or other
areas that may be due to ischemia
- Cerebrovasular disease such as stroke or history of transient ischemic attacks
- Peripheral vascular disease (such as claudication)
- Diabetes (both Type I and II)
- Chronic infectious disease (HIV, hepatitis) (hepatitis A is okay)
- Liver disease
- Cystic fibrosis (CF)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (see asthma and bronchitis under
questionable)
- Interstitial lung disease
- Emphysema
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Orthopnea (difficulty breathing except in the upright position) or paroxysmal
nocturnal dyspnea (sudden shortness of breath at night typically triggered by lying
down)
- Current diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Current diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
- Abnormal exercise stress test
- Hypertension (anyone currently being followed and/or treated for hypertension)
- Cancer treatment (other than skin cancer) within the past 6 months
- Musculoskeletal problems such as osteoarthritis, gout, osteoporosis or back, hip or
knee pain that can interfere with physical activity (i.e., walking at a brisk pace -
about 3-mph)
- Any other serious medical condition that might make exercise unsafe or unwise
Psychiatric Problems
- Hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder in the last 6 months
- Currently suicidal or psychotic, (or suicidal/psychotic in last 6 months)
- Self-report of more than three alcoholic drinks per day on 5 or more days; 5 or more
alcoholic drinks on 3 or more days
- Taking these specific medications for psychiatric problems: Mood stabilizer
(Lithium, Depakote, Neurontin), Antipsychotics (Haldol, Clozaril, Risperdal)
- Must be on other current psychiatric medications for at least three months
REQUIRES MD CONSENT FOR THE SPECIFIC CONDITION
- Lightheadedness, dizziness, vertigo, or fainting
- Last electrocardiogram (EKG) performed was abnormal
- Anemia
- Previous ETT for medical reason with normal results
- Irregular heart beats or palpitations in the past two years
- Heart murmurs in the past two years - the person will need physician's consent and an
echocardiogram showing no evidence of significant heart disease