The Effect of Varenicline, Nicotine Replacement, and Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation

Abstract

Aim: Various methods are used in the treatment of cigarette addiction. It was aimed to compare the smoking cessation status of patients who applied for smoking cessation treatment and received varenicline treatment, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and acupuncture treatment. Methods: In the study, 402 individuals who received varenicline treatment, NRT, and acupuncture treatment for smoking cessation were included. The sociodemographic data of the individuals, the results of the Fagerström nicotine dependence test, and the data on smoking cessation obtained during the 6 months after the treatment were retrospectively scanned from the patient files. Results: Of the 402 individuals included in the study, 60.4% (n = 243) were treated with varenicline, 28.1% (n = 113) received NRT, and 11.4% (n = 46) were treated with acupuncture. 63.4% (n = 255) of all the patients, 71.2% (n = 173) of the patients treated with varenicline, 56.6% (n = 64) of the patients who received NRT, and 39.1% (n = 18) of the patients treated with acupuncture quit smoking. It was found that smoking cessation rate was higher in the patients treated with varenicline compared to other treatments (p <0.001), and varenicline was more effective than other treatments in very high addiction (p <0.001). Conclusion: Varenicline treatment, NRT, and acupuncture treatment are all effective methods for smoking cessation. Varenicline treatment is more effective in smoking cessation than other treatments, and this efficiency is higher than other treatments in very high addiction.