Therapeutic Strategies to Optimize the Efficacy of Nicotine Replacement Therapies

Figures & data

Table 1 Efficacy of nicotine replacement therapies expressed as risk ratio (percent abstinent on active/control: placebo or no treatment) assessed at 6 months or longer (from ref. 18)

	Number of studies	Risk ratio (95% CI)
Gum	53	1.43 (1.33–1.53)
Patch	41	1.66 (1.53–1.81)
Nasal spray	4	2.02 (1.49–3.73)
Inhaler	4	1.9 (1.36–2.67)
Sublingual tablettes/losanges	6	2 (1.63–2.45)
Combined vs single	7	1.35 (1.11–1.63)
NRT vs placebo or no treatment	111	1.58 (1.5–1.66)

*confidence interval.

Figure 1 Schematic presentation of plasma nicotine concentrations in venous blood of a smoker over a 24-hour period (A) and in an abstinent smoker using nicotine patch (NP) and buccal/nasal absorption nicotine replacement products (B). Combination of NP with rapid, buccal/nasal absorption NRT leads to higher area under the plasma nicotine concentration curve and peak nicotine concentrations. These result in more time spent above the craving/urge to smoke plasma nicotine concentration threshold and a better mimicking of self-titrated nicotine peaks.

Table 2 Nicotine patch augmentation by bupropion or nortriptyline (from ref. 8)

	Number of studies	Odds Ratio (95% CI)
Bupropion + nicotine patch versus nicotine patch alone	4	1.37 (0.65–2.91)
Nortriptyline + nicotine patch versus nicotine patch alone	3	1.48 (0.87–2.54)

*confidence interval.