Pharmacogenetics of Nicotine Metabolism in African-Americans
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The investigators hypothesize that African Americans (AAs) smoke more for positive
reinforcement from nicotine with a "peak-seeking" pattern of smoking (smoking individual
cigarettes more intensively with greater intake of nicotine and tobacco smoke toxins), while
whites smoke more for negative reinforcement with a "trough-maintaining" pattern (avoiding
withdrawal by maintaining more consistent nicotine levels throughout the day by means of a
more regular smoking pattern). The investigators believe that these patterns are linked to
identifiable racial differences in nicotine pharmacology and that there will be associated
racial differences in responses to pharmacologic interventions.