Short communication: Pasteurization of milk abolishes bovine herpesvirus 4 infectivity.

Bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) is a gammaherpesvirus highly prevalent in the cattle population that has been isolated from the milk and the serum of healthy infected cows. Several studies reported the sensitivity and the permissiveness of some human cells to BoHV-4 infection. Moreover, our recent study demonstrated that some human cells sensitive but not permissive to BoHV-4 support a persistent infection protecting them from tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis. Together, these observations suggested that BoHV-4 could represent a danger for public health. To evaluate the risk of human infection by BoHV-4 through milk or serum derivatives, we investigated the resistance of BoHV-4 to the mildest thermal treatments usually applied to these products. The results demonstrated that milk pasteurization and thermal decomplementation of serum abolish BoHV-4 infectivity by inactivation of its property to enter permissive cells. Consequently, our results demonstrate that these treatments drastically reduce the risk of human infection by BoHV-4 through treated milk or serum derivatives.

Do patients' preferences predict smoking cessation?

BACKGROUND: Social cognitive theories (e.g., ASE-model) propose that smoking cessation can be accomplished by changing underlying cognitive determinants such as attitudes, social influence, and self-efficacy. Others have argued that people's preferences for a health state can also predict behavior. In this study, preferences constitute the degree to which one is willing to give up a valuable good, that is survival, to obtain a desirable behavior (e.g., to quit smoking). The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of cognitive determinants and patients' preferences on the prediction of smoking cessation. METHODS: Data were collected as part of a randomized clinical trial. Smoking outpatients (N = 217) with cardiovascular disease were included. At baseline (T0), socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were measured. Social cognitions (pros of quitting, pros of smoking, social influence, and self-efficacy) and preferences (using a paper time trade-off measure (TTO)) were assessed at T1 (1 week). Smoking cessation was assessed at T2 (8 weeks). RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that socio-demographic (P = .92) and clinical (P = .26) factors did not predict smoking cessation, whereas social cognitions (P = .02) and preferences did (P = .00). On average, quitters are willing to give up an appreciable amount of survival years in order to quit smoking. CONCLUSION: Preference for quitting was the strongest single predictor of smoking cessation.

Cognitive changes in cardiovascular patients following a tailored behavioral smoking cessation intervention.

BACKGROUND: Action aimed at changing smoking behavior to prevent cardiovascular patients from further impairing their health is advisable. Cognitive behavioral interventions can be effective in this regard since they attempt to influence cognitive determinants that presumably lead to smoking cessation. The Minimal Intervention Strategy for Cardiology patients (C-MIS) is such an intervention, tailored to the patients' readiness to change. Our aim is to investigate whether the C-MIS is successful in changing patients' cognitions such as attitudes, social influence, self-efficacy and intention to quit during a 1-year period. METHODS: Smoking outpatients (N = 315) with cardiovascular disease were included. They were randomized and received either Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or NRT + C-MIS. At baseline (T1), sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were measured. Cognitions and quitting behavior were assessed at baseline and at four follow-up measurements. RESULTS: Comparing treatments, the C-MIS did not affect pros of quitting, pros of smoking and social influence. We did find small effects of the C-MIS on intention to quit and self-efficacy, although only for higher-educated patients. CONCLUSION: The C-MIS appears successful in affecting intention to quit and self-efficacy abilities, but only for patients with higher education levels. Initial positive changes in cognitions may also emerge in a medical intervention, such as the provision of NRT.

Smoking cessation interventions in cardiovascular patients.

OBJECTIVES: To review current evidence for the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in cardiovascular patient populations. DESIGN AND MATERIALS: Studies were obtained from systematic reviews of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Review Group. Twelve Cochrane reviews related to secondary prevention in a variety of populations were used to extract eligible studies. Studies were eligible when they considered smokers diagnosed with symptomatic cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Data concerning the comparison between the intervention of interest and a placebo or standard treatment group were derived from eligible papers. Based on these data, Absolute Risk Reduction figures were calculated to express the effectiveness of each intervention on smoking cessation. RESULTS: We found 12 studies examining smoking cessation interventions in cardiovascular patients. Five studies reported significant results. No evidence was found for Nicotine Replacement Therapy or other pharmacology to be effective, neither for self-help materials, group, individual or telephone counseling. There is limited evidence for physician's advice and nurse-delivered interventions to be effective. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation studies in cardiovascular patients are scarce. The available studies show very limited effects. The reasons for the lack of success of smoking cessation strategies in these patients remain unclear. Further research is needed to find effective cessation strategies for patients with cardiovascular diseases.