Quitting smoking can be challenging – many people with tobacco dependence require multiple attempts at cessation before they are successful. Using a nicotine patch may help to curb smokers’ cravings, but it is not clear how long a nicotine patch should be used in order to maximize the chance of actually quitting. In the February 2, 2010 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, scientists report that using a nicotine patch for 24 weeks reduced the risk for smoking relapses.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital studied 568 adult smokers in order to determine whether using a nicotine patch for an extended period of time was more effective than using a nicotine patch for a standard period of time. Study participants were randomly assigned to either using a nicotine patch for 8 weeks followed by a placebo patch for 16 weeks or using a nicotine patch for 24 consecutive weeks. The researchers found that, at week 24, extended therapy with a nicotine patch increased the period of continuous abstinence from tobacco, reduced the risk of smoking relapses, and increased the chances of recovering from relapses.

It’s important to keep in mind that the smokers who participated in the study were free of medical conditions and were actively seeking treatment for quitting smoking. Nevertheless, it seems that using a nicotine patch for 24 weeks does improve the chances of abstaining from tobacco and recovering from smoking lapses than only using a nicotine patch for 8 weeks.

Source:

Ann Intern Med. 2010;152(3):144-151.