2009 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 233-241
Smoking is a risk factor for various disorders. Strategies have been established in various countries. To support smoking cessation, the nicotine patch was developed, and various clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate its effects. However, its long-term effects remain to be clarified. We conducted a meta-analysis based on the results of randomized, comparative studies, with high-level scientific reliability, to investigate the long-term efficacy of the nicotine patch. We reviewed the 1-year results of nicotine-patch use in 18 studies using a fixed effect model via the PubMed and Cochrane Library. The combined odds and risk ratios were 1.753 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.520-2.021] and 1.594 (95% CI: 1.406-1.806), respectively. In the nicotine-patch group, the success rate for smoking cessation was significantly higher than that in the nicotine-patch-free group. Furthermore, the combined risk difference was 5.33% (95% CI: 3.99-6.66%); nicotine-patch prescription increased the rate at which smoking cessation was successfully achieved, by approximately 5%. The number of persons requiring treatment after 1 year was 19. Based on the results of RCTs, we calculated the combined odds ratio, combined risk ratio, combined risk difference, and number needed to treat (NNT). The nicotine patch significantly increased the success rate for smoking cessation after 1 year. The possibility of publication bias cannot deny completely because the funnel plots were not symmetrical.
