Combined treatments are the most effective to stop smoking, study finds

Press release issued: 12 October 2021

Combination therapies, particularly varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) combined, are the most effective tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies, the largest review to examine the effectiveness and safety of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and medicines that people use to quit tobacco has found.

The study, led by the University of Bristol, and published today [12 October] in Addiction, was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research partner of the NHS, public health and social care.

Varenicline, bupropion, and NRT are recommended as first line treatments to stop smoking by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). E-cigarettes can be used as aids to quit smoking, but currently there are no medically licensed e-cigarettes in the UK. As cigarette smoking is globally a leading cause of premature death and illness and is costly, the aim of the research was to find out the clinical effectiveness and safety of varenicline, bupropion, NRT and e-cigarettes when compared with each other.

Read the full University of Bristol press release.

Further information

Paper: 'Comparative clinical effectiveness and safety of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies and electronic cigarettes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials' by Kyla H Thomas, Michael N Dalili et al. in Addiction [open access].