title: Trial of intensive acupuncture for smoking cessation: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the significant decline in smoking rates in the USA over the last 50 years, 42 million Americans continue to smoke. Although the combination of behavioural counselling with FDA-approved medications offers the best evidence-based treatment approach, 12-month relapse rates remain at >60%. Both healthcare providers and patients are searching for alternative treatment options. Most acupuncture trials have yielded poor results for smoking cessation; however, most trials have not used an intense treatment protocol and maintained treatment for at least 12 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a pilot study to address these methodological problems. Twenty-eight smokers were recruited to attend two 1 h acupuncture sessions weekly for 12 weeks. Primary endpoints included completion rate, acceptability of the protocol and side effects. Secondary endpoints included carbon monoxide (CO)-confirmed, 7-day point prevalence quit rates at 12 weeks and 26 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen of the 28 patients enrolled (57%) completed 12 weeks of treatment. Of the 17 patients who completed the end-of-study questionnaire, 94% (16/17) rated the programme as helpful, and 82% noted they would recommend it to friends for smoking cessation. Three of the 28 who initially enrolled in the study were confirmed abstinent at 12 weeks (10.7%); one of the 28 (3.6%) was abstinent at 26 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A larger study with a slightly less rigorous and more acceptable treatment protocol is feasible and should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Tony Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.affiliation: Nicotine Research Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Ivana T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Croghan
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Darrell R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Molly J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mallory
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Jon O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ebbert
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: J Taylor
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hays
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ACUPUNCTURE