Comparative effects of varenicline or combination nicotine replacement therapy versus patch monotherapy on candidate mediators of early abstinence in a smoking cessation attempt.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

This study tested the comparative effects of varenicline and combination nicotine replacement therapy (C-NRT) relative to nicotine patch monotherapy on pre-cessation and cessation phase candidate withdrawal, expectancy and motivation mediators; relations between mediators and abstinence; and indirect effects of enhanced treatments on abstinence via candidate mediators.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Candidate mediators (craving, positive smoking expectancies, withdrawal symptoms, and quitting motivation) were assessed via ecological momentary assessment from 1 week prior (pre-cessation phase) to 4 weeks after (cessation phase) the TQD.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized and open-label.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Nothing was hidden in this open-label Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) study: the participants and staff both knew the treatment.

Research clinics in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Twelve weeks of varenicline (n = 407) or 12 weeks of combination nicotine patch and nicotine lozenge therapy (n = 421), both compared with 12 weeks of patch control condition (n = 230), with individual smoking cessation counseling.

The primary abstinence outcome was biochemically verified 7-day point-prevalence abstinence 4 weeks post-target quit day (TQD).

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Smokers, Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Use Cessation Devices and Varenicline.

Author keywords: Combination nicotine replacement therapy, mediation, nicotine lozenge, nicotine patch and nicotine withdrawal.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and open-label study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2021 (Addiction (Abingdon, England)), a journal based in England.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.