Table 2.
Effect estimates of acupuncture for smoking cessation
| Outcomes Cessation rate = Primary outcome | Follow-up duration | Intervention group (N) | Control group (N) | Study (N) | RR/MD ( 95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Acupuncture versus no intervention/waiting list | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 224 | 222 | 1 | 2.4 (1.4, 4.0) * |
| long-term | 355 | 353 | 2 | 2.7 (1.5, 4.7) * | |
| Daily cigarette consumption | long-term | 131 | 131 | 1 | 20.7 (19.8, 21.6)* |
| Saliva cotinine (μg/L) | short-term | 40 | 40 | 2 | -0.2 (-0.3, -0.2) * |
| 2. Real acupuncture versus sham acupuncture | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 96 | 89 | 3 | 1.8 (0.9, 3.3) |
| mid-term | 36 | 33 | 1 | 1.4 (0.4, 4.5) | |
| long-term | 37 | 27 | 2 | 0.8 (0.2, 2.9) | |
| Nicotine withdrawal symptoms (NWS) | short-term | 81 | 83 | 2 | -0.7 (-1.7, 0.3) |
| Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) | short-term | 22 | 24 | 1 | 0.9 (-1.6, 3.4) |
| Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) | short-term | 22 | 24 | 1 | -0.4 (-2.3, 1.5) |
| Craving for cigarette | short-term | 10 | 14 | 1 | 1.6 (0.9, 2.9) |
| Daily cigarette consumption | short-term | 11 | 12 | 1 | -5.1 (-7.0, -3.2) * |
| long-term | 22 | 11 | 1 | -3.2 (-5.1, -1.4) * | |
| Exhaled CO level (ppm) | short-term | 15 | 14 | 1 | -0.6 (-0.9, -0.3) * |
| Serum cotinine (μg/L) | short-term | 26 | 18 | 1 | -86.0 (-107.8, -64.2) * |
| long-term | 22 | 16 | 1 | -80.0 (-100.0, -60.0) * | |
| 3. Acupuncture versus nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 224 | 205 | 1 | 1.04 (1.0, 1.2) |
| long-term | 224 | 205 | 1 | 1.05 (1.0, 1.1) | |
| Nicotine withdrawal symptoms (NWS) | short-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -2.3 (-20.3, 15.7) |
| Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) | short-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.5 (-0.3, 1.3) |
| mid-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.1 (-0.7, 0.9) | |
| Heaviness of smoking index (HSI) | short-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.3 (-0.3, 0.8) |
| mid-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.1 (-0.5, 0.7) | |
| Exhaled CO level (ppm) | short-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | -0.5 (-2.6, 1.7) |
| mid-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.4 (-2.1, 2.8) | |
| Urine cotinine (μg/L) | short-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | -0.2 (-1.1, 0.8) |
| mid-term | 24 | 23 | 1 | -0.3 (-1.1, 0.4) | |
| 4. Acupuncture versus acupuncture combined with counselling or educational smoking cessation program or moxibustion | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 236 | 208 | 3 | 0.8 (0.6, 0.9) * |
| mid-term | 169 | 162 | 2 | 0.8 (0.6, 1.1) | |
| long-term | 166 | 165 | 2 | 0.6 (0.4, 0.8) * | |
| 5. Acupuncture versus wrist-ankle acupuncture | |||||
| Abstinence rate | long-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | 0.6 (0.4, 0.9) |
| 6. Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure versus sham acupuncture combined with sham auricular acupressure | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 100 | 97 | 3 | 2.5 (1.4, 4.3) * |
| mid-term | 70 | 67 | 2 | 3.6 (1.4, 9.5) * | |
| Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) | short-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -3.9 (-5.1, -2.7) * |
| mid-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -2.8 (-4.1, -1.5) * | |
| Self-evaluated scale for tobacco dependence (SSTD) | short-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -9.5 (-12.4, -6.6) * |
| mid-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -4.8 (-7.9, -1.7) * | |
| Daily cigarette consumption | short-term | 60 | 60 | 2 | -6.9 (-9.6, -4.3) * |
| mid-term | 30 | 30 | 1 | -8.9 (-12.6, -5.3) * | |
| Exhaled CO level (ppm) | short-term | 30 | 29 | 1 | -3.2 (-7.5, 1.0) |
| Serum cotinine (μg/L) | short-term | 30 | 29 | 1 | -21.7 (-105.1, 61.6) |
| 7. Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure versus acupuncture or auricular acupressure as a monotherapy | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 76 | 74 | 3 | 1.5 (1.0, 2.3) * |
| Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) | short-term | 24 | 24 | 1 | -2.1 (-3.1, -1.2) * |
| Self-evaluated scale for tobacco dependence (SSTD) | short-term | 24 | 24 | 1 | -6.3 (-9.1, -3.4) * |
| Daily cigarette consumption | short-term | 24 | 24 | 1 | -5.0 (-9.7, -0.4) * |
| 8. Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure versus nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 56 | 60 | 1 | 0.6 (0.3, 1.4) |
| mid-term | 30 | 32 | 1 | 1.3 (0.4, 3.78) | |
| Nicotine withdrawal symptoms (NWS) | short-term | 30 | 32 | 1 | -0.5 (-2.9, 1.9) |
| mid-term | 30 | 32 | 1 | -0.5 (-2.4, 1.4) | |
| Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) | short-term | 60 | 62 | 2 | 0.1 (-0.5, 0.7) |
| Heaviness of smoking index (HSI) | short-term | 60 | 62 | 2 | -0.1 (-0.4, 0.4) |
| Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief) | short-term | 30 | 32 | 1 | -1.0 (-4.5, 2.5) |
| mid-term | 30 | 32 | 1 | -0.9 (-4.4, 2.5) | |
| 9. Acupuncture combined with counseling/gum versus sham acupuncture combined with counselling/gum | |||||
| Abstinence rate | short-term | 425 | 376 | 2 | 1.0 (0.9, 1.2) |
| mid-term | 146 | 145 | 1 | 0.99 (0.7, 1.3) | |
| long-term | 417 | 355 | 2 | 0.99 (0.7, 1.3) | |
Short-term, for assessment up to 4 weeks; Mid-term, for an assessment duration up to 6 months; Long-term, for an assessment duration longer than 6 months. *p<0.05 and the difference was statistically significant. RR: risk ratio, used for dichotomous data-abstinence rate, MD: mean difference, used for continuous data-all outcomes except abstinence rate, CI: confidence interval, for RR the exclusion of the value 1 implies statistical significance whereas for MD the exclusion of the value 0 implies statistical significance.