Table 6.
Effectiveness and abstinence rates for various medications and medication combinations compared to placebo at 6-months post-quit (n=86 studies)
| Medication | Number of arms* | Estimated OR (95% CI) | Estimated abstinence rate (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo | 80 | 1.0 | 13.8 |
| Monotherapies | |||
| Varenicline (2 mg/day) | 5 | 3.1 (2.5, 3.8) | 33.2 (28.9, 37.8) |
| Nicotine nasal spray | 4 | 2.3 (1.7, 3.0) | 26.7 (21.5, 32.7) |
| High dose nicotine patch (>25 mg) (these included both standard or long-term duration) | 4 | 2.3 (1.7, 3.0) | 26.5 (21.3, 32.5) |
| Long-term nicotine gum (>14 weeks) | 6 | 2.2 (1.5, 3.2) | 26.1 (19.7, 33.6) |
| Varenicline (1 mg/day) | 3 | 2.1 (1.5, 3.0) | 25.4 (19.6, 32.2) |
| Nicotine inhaler | 6 | 2.1 (1.5, 2.9) | 24.8 (19.1, 31.6) |
| Clonidine | 3 | 2.1 (1.2, 3.7) | 25.0 (15.7, 37.3) |
| Bupropion SR | 26 | 2.0 (1.8, 2.2) | 24.2 (22.2, 26.4) |
| Nicotine patch (6–14 weeks) | 32 | 1.9 (1.7, 2.2) | 23.4 (21.3, 25.8) |
| Long-term nicotine patch (>14 weeks) | 10 | 1.9 (1.7, 2.3) | 23.7 (21.0, 26.6) |
| Nortriptyline | 5 | 1.8 (1.3, 2.6) | 22.5 (16.8, 29.4) |
| Nicotine gum (6–14 weeks) | 15 | 1.5 (1.2, 1.7) | 19.0 (16.5, 21.9) |
| Combination therapies | |||
| Patch (long-term; >14 weeks) + ad lib NRT (gum or spray) | 3 | 3.6 (2.5, 5.2) | 36.5 (28.6, 45.3) |
| Patch + bupropion SR | 3 | 2.5 (1.9, 3.4) | 28.9 (23.5, 35.1) |
| Patch + nortriptyline | 2 | 2.3 (1.3, 4.2) | 27.3 (17.2, 40.4) |
| Patch + inhaler | 2 | 2.2 (1.3, 3.6) | 25.8 (17.4, 36.5) |
| Patch + second generation antidepressants (paroxetine, venlafaxine) | 3 | 2.0 (1.2, 3.4) | 24.3 (16.1, 35.0) |
| Medications not shown to be effective | |||
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 3 | 1.0 (0.7, 1.4) | 13.7 (10.2, 18.0) |
| Naltrexone | 2 | 0.5 (0.2, 1.2) | 7.3 (3.1, 16.2) |
*
The term “arms” refers to the separate treatment or control groups comprised by the analyzed studies.