Menstrual cycle could affect the success rate of quitting

Published on May 30, 2008 2:48 AM

Scientists said that women are luckier than men because women can easier quitting smoking during their menstrual cycle.

Why during menstrual cycle?

Experts say a woman's chances of successfully quitting the bad habit are much higher if they give up in the days before their period. During their monthly cycle they can easier to cope with the nicotine withdrawal.

Menstrual cycle and hormone levels affect the success rate of quitting.

In a study at the University of Minnesota, 200 women attempted to give up smoking. Half of them tried to quit after their period ended and before ovulation, and the other half after ovulation but before the start of the next cycle.

Only two in ten of the women from first group had managed to stay smoke-free, however in the second group, four in ten were successful.

The scientists from the University of Minnesota suggested that women quitting smoking depend on where they are in their menstrual cycle, because each stage is marked by differences in the hormones produced by the body. They said that hormones might even play a role in the speed at which nicotine is removed from the bloodstream by the body.

"Women attempting to quit smoking before ovulation had less favorable outcomes than those attempting to quit after ovulation. This could relate to ovarian hormones, which may play a role in smoking cessation for women," said scientists.

The researchers said that the differing levels of female sex hormones were to blame for such bad behavior.

The links between different parts of the menstrual cycle and mood are well established, and there is even some evidence that women smokers tend to smoke more at some points.

The addiction to nicotine is so powerful, however, that scientists are constantly looking for ways to increase the chances of kicking the habit.