July 18, 2025 | Quit Smoking | No Comments
In a large review, researchers compared the effectiveness of methods used to quit smoking. They analyzed 319 studies that tracked success in quitting smoking for at least six months. A total of 157,179 smokers were included in the analysis.
The most effective medicines for treatment:
The most effective drugs were those based on the active ingredients varenicline and cytisine, as well as nicotine electronic cigarettes. According to the data obtained, about 14% of smokers who try to quit smoking using these methods succeed for 6 months or more.
The substances varenicline and cytisine prevent nicotine from activating the brain receptors that release dopamine.
A combination of 2 types of nicotine replacement therapy (for example, nicotine patches + chewing gum or lozenges) is also effective. This combination helps about 12 out of 100 people quit smoking. For comparison: one type of NRT helps 9 out of 100 people quit smoking.
The data showed that gradually reducing nicotine levels can be more effective than quitting abruptly.