Smoking is the most important cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. Stopping smoking halves the CV risk. Every clinician should provide a brief intervention with smokers. Intensive treatment should be available to those who need it. There are 37 Centers for @entity286 @entity734 in the Czech Republic, which offer treatment including a psychobehavioral intervention and pharmacotherapy ( @entity4006 , @entity1239 , @entity752 ). Czech physicians, pharmacists and nurses are regularly educated about smoking cessation. We describe the results of intensive treatment offered by our centers. Treatment includes screening (1 h), an intervention (2 h), and follow-up visits during the next 12 months. Among 3532 @entity1 , 34.3 % had CO-validated abstinence at 12-months (including 489 @entity1 who attended the screening visit + only the 12-month follow up visit). Among @entity1 who underwent the intervention, the abstinence rate was 38.2 %. The majority of @entity1 who underwent the intervention (N=2470) used some form of pharmacotherapy. After one year, the abstinence rate was 43.4 %, compared to 15.9 % (N=573) without pharmacotherapy. Only 28 % of @entity1 came on the recommendation of a physician. Despite the decrease in CV risk following smoking cessation and the effectiveness of treatment, centers are underutilized.

XXXX @entity734 , the most important cardiovascular risk factor: treatment in the Czech Republic.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity286 :: ('4097', 'Species') :: ['Tobacco'] @entity4006 :: ('MESH:C500838', 'Chemical') :: ['varenicline'] @entity1239 :: ('MESH:D009538', 'Chemical') :: ['nicotine'] @entity752 :: ('MESH:D016642', 'Chemical') :: ['bupropion'] @entity734 :: ('MESH:D019966', 'Disease') :: ['Dependence']
@entity286 :: (4097,Species) :: ['Tobacco']
