Combination therapies more effective in helping patients quit smoking
Physicians should consider smoking a chronic disease and use multiple treatments to help patients quit, according to two studies in the April 7 Annals of Internal Medicine.
In one study, a randomized clinical trial, the 750 enrollees were assigned either a nicotine patch or bupropion; or the same pharmacotherapy supplemented with up to two calls from trained counselors; or the pharmacotherapy supplemented with up to six counseling calls. During the two-year trial, patients in the highest intensity group with the greatest number of counseling calls were the most successful.
In the second study, researchers studied 127 smokers with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. They were randomized to receive a nicotine patch for 10 weeks or a combination of patch, a nicotine inhaler and bupropion for as long as required. At about six months, the patients in the combination therapy group had a success quit rate of about 35%. The patch group achieved a 19% success rate.
Source: Ama-assn
