Smokers Using Nicotine Inhaler Double Chances of Quitting?
According to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington in New Zealand, smokers who used a novel nicotine inhaler were twice as likely to quit smoking as those using a placebo inhaler.
A team led by Julian Crane, MB, BS, FRCP, FRACP, director of the Wellington Asthma Research Group and a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Otago, sought to measure the efficacy of a simple pressurized metered dose inhaler (MDI) containing nicotine combined with a nicotine patch for smoking cessation.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The authors, who noted that nicotine replacement therapies must deliver nicotine via the pulmonary route in order to replicate the rewarding effects of smoking, conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial at the University. The study included 502 adults who smoked at least 9 cigarettes a day, with participants randomly assigned to receive a nicotine inhaler plus a nicotine patch, or a placebo inhaler plus a nicotine patch.
The participants were instructed to use the aerosols for 6 months when they felt the urge to smoke, and were directed to use the patches daily for 5 months, reduce their smoking, and quit by the end of the fourth week. Subjects were followed for 7 months. Ultimately, the researchers found that inhaled nicotine from a metered dose inhaler combined with a nicotine patch “substantially improves abstinence” for 6 months among adult nicotine-dependent smokers wanting to quit.
“We have shown that a smoker using a nicotine MDI and patch can double their chances of quitting,” Crane said. “The advantages of the MDI is that it breaks the association with cigarette-like e-cigarettes, can be used anywhere, cannot be tampered with to introduce other substances, and does not require batteries or any heating of nicotine.
“Once we are able to get this device registered as a medicine,” Crane continued, “it will be something that general practitioners can recommend to their patients to help them quit as a medicinal product rather than a standard e-cigarette.”
—Mark McGraw
Reference
Crane J, Caldwell B. combination nicotine metered dose inhaler and nicotine patch for smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial [published online May 16, 2016]. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntw093.