Smoking cessation rates 4 years after treatment by nicotine gum and acupuncture.
BACKGROUND
This study was done to estimate the smoking cessation rates 4 years after treatment with acupuncture and nicotine gum.


METHODS
Participants were randomized in a 2 x 2 factorial design to four groups: double active treatments (nicotine gum and acupuncture), double placebo, and the combination of one active treatment and placebo.


RESULTS
The success rates were quite similar in the four groups at the different points of follow-up. They sharply decreased between 1 month (around 23%) and 1 year (around 10%). The decrease slowed down thereafter to around 6% at 4 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from our study suggest that the two treatments did not offer any long-term improvement over placebo. Additional investigations are necessary to estimate the magnitude of their long-term success rate.
Clavel-Chapelon
F
F
Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie des Cancers (U351), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France.
Paoletti
C
C
Benhamou
S
S
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*
D002638:Chewing Gum; D009538:Nicotine