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"A randomized trial of the effects of two novel nicotine replacement therapies on tobacco withdrawal symptoms and user satisfaction." McRobbie, H., S. Thornley, et al. (2010). Addiction 105(7): 1290-1298.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02950.x/abstract
Forty-seven dependent adult smokers rated their urges to smoke, irritability, concentration and restlessness before and during the first hour of product use on a 100-point scale. A subsample of 11 participants provided blood samples for nicotine analysis. All products reduced craving significantly more than placebo (mean reductions of 28.6, 25.8, 24.7 and 8.9 points for mouth spray, gum, lozenge and placebo). Mouth spray and lozenge are at least as effective as 4 mg gum in relieving craving suggesting that they are likely to be effective in aiding smoking cessation. The mouth spray may be particularly useful for acute craving relief.
"Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age: the Step2quit randomised controlled trial." Parkes, G., T. Greenhalgh, et al. (2008).British Medical Journal 336(7644): 598.http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7644/598.full
The impact of telling 561 current smokers aged over 35 their estimated spirometric lung age as an incentive to quit smoking was reported. The intervention group were told their “lung age”. The control group received the forced expiratory volume at one second. Both groups were advised to quit and offered referral to smoking cessation services. Follow-up was 89%. Quit rates at 12 months in the intervention and control groups, respectively, were 13.6% and 6.4% (P=0.005). Re-diagnosis of obstructive lung disease was made in 17% in the intervention group and 14% in the control group; a total of 16% of participants.
McRobbie, H. (July 2010)
As more health professionals are implementing ABC into their practice it is important that NRT is well understood as a key pharmacotherapy agent. NRT is an effective smoking cessation aid and can also be used to aid temporary abstinence (i.e. for use where people are unable to smoke, such as hospitals). However a number of practical and safety issues have come to the Ministry of Health’s attention from the implementation of the ABC project. This document aims to address some of these.
Eleven hundred adult smokers who called Quitline were randomized to 2 weeks of nicotine patches and/or gum prior to their target quit day followed by 8 weeks of patches and/or gum plus support calls from Quitline, or by usual care alone. Six months after quit day 125 (22.7%) participants in the pre-cessation group and 116 (21.0%) in the control group reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence. In a meta-analysis with other pre-cessation trials there was a benefit of a one-quarter increase in cessation rates. Using NRT 2 weeks before the quit day was safe but had no benefit over usual care.
"Review: Nicotinic receptors and stages of nicotine dependence."
This review was on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor neuroadaptations that occur during the development of nicotine dependence. Nicotinic receptors are the primary binding sites for both nicotine and the most efficacious pharmacological smoking cessation treatments. Outlining the role of nicotinic receptors in the development of nicotine dependence is difficult because there are several stages involving different neurological systems. The review adopts a novel approach and considers the role of nicotinic receptor subtypes at separate stages of the nicotine dependence cycle. This information was then used to examine the nicotinic receptor related therapeutic mechanisms of three main pharmacological smoking cessation treatments.
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