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In animal and human studies, progesterone has protected against drug use behaviors, whereas estrogen has facilitated them. Regarding smoking, studies have shown greater cessation success among women who quit during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle (when progesterone is high and estrogen is low) and better relapse prevention with progesterone than placebo in postpartum women. To learn more about progesterone's potential as a smoking cessation aid, researchers randomized 216 participants (113 men; 103 premenopausal women with regular menstrual cycles) to progesterone (200 mg twice daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. Participants began progesterone or placebo 7 days before their quit date, which for women was during the midluteal phase.
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