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In previous smoking-cessation studies, Duke University researchers found that smokers who used nicotine replacement before their quit dates were more likely to abstain after their quit dates than smokers who did not use precessation nicotine replacement (Nicotine Tob Res 2009; 11:1067). Now, these researchers have extended their findings in a complex trial funded by Philip Morris USA.
About 600 smokers (average cigarette use, 26 pack-years) began using open-label nicotine patches 2 weeks before their quit dates. A substantial minority of participants dropped out along the way, but the following outcomes were noted:
313 participants reduced smoking by <50% after 1 week of patch use; they then underwent double-blind randomization to patch only,…