Table 7: Efficacy of NRT on abstinence from smoking at ≥6 months follow up.
| Comparison | Details | RR abstinence from smoking at ≥6 months follow up (95% CI) | I2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any form of NRT vs. placebo/no NRT control | 111 trials, N=43040 | 1.58 (1.50, 1.66) | 24% |
| Nicotine gum* vs. control | 53 trials, N=19090 | 1.43 (1.33, 1.53) | 19% |
| Nicotine patch vs. control | 41 trials, N=18237 | 1.66 (1.53, 1.81) | 20% |
| Nicotine inhaler vs. control | 4 trials, N=976 | 1.90 (1.36, 2.67) | 0% |
| Oral tablets/lozenges vs. control | 6 trials, N=3109 | 2.00 (1.63, 2.45) | 32% |
| Nicotine nasal spray vs. control | 4 trials, N=887 | 2.02 (1.49, 2.73) | 0% |
RR refers to relative risk; NRT, nicotine replacement therapy; I2 refers to test for heterogeneity
*
In highly dependent smokers, there was a significant benefit of 4mg gum vs. 2mg, but weaker evidence from higher doses of patch