Meta analysis of 6 studies finds 18% smoking cessation rate for smokers who tried e-cigs, published in AHA's Circulation

[Bill Godshall]

Meta analysis of six previously published studies finds 18% (224/1,242) smoking cessation rate (after 6 months) for smokers who used e-cigs containing nicotine, which is much higher than the 7% average cessation rate for FDA approved NRT products. Amazingly, the study was published by/in American Heart Association's Circulation (even though AHA has staunchly opposed e-cigs since 2009 when it urged FDA to ban them).
Circulation

Hopefully, the AHA will issue a press release announcing this study and its findings to generate some news (especially since the AHA issued many press releases demonizing e-cigs), and will stop demonizing e-cigs, although that may require e-cig companies to give AHA lots of money first (as occurred after Big Pharma gave AHA lots of money to promote NRT and denounce all other smokefree alternatives).

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Time for a press release?

E-cigarettes are more than 2.5 times as effective as pharmaceutical options for smoking cessation.

That's how the ANTZ use this type of abstract but no one selling them can use it, it's just the truth.

 

[DrMA]

Excellent news. Thanks, Bill.

It looks like this is just a conference presentation Abstract. I can't wait for the peer-reviewed paper.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Holy crap that's an impressive stat. Unfortunately, this news is much too impressive to go beyond an advocacy blog or two. After all, It's only about a cheap little battery that vaporizes harmless liquid which has the potential to cripple tobacco suppliers by as much as 18% and extend lives...

Nothing to see here folks... move along now...

 

[Tache]

What I really liked about this abstract was it's use of the descriptor "enriched with nicotine" rather than the ever popular "nicotine laced".

 

[LaraC]

Did a quick google search on the lead investigator, Dr. Muhammad Aziz Rahman, St Vincent’s Centre for Nursing Research (SVCNR), Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.

Found an article he wrote titled:
"Smoking and health: what do patients and hospital staff think? A snapshot from a metropolitan hospital in Melbourne"

Near the end of the article, he wrote:

"There are limited studies which focus on the knowledge and preferences for smoking cessation strategies among hospitalised patients, suggesting the need for further exploration."

According to the link in Bill's post #1, the doctor did undertake further exploration. It's sure nice (and that's an understatement!) that Dr. Rahman's further exploration turned up favorable results for use of e-cigarettes as cessation tools. Personally, I began using e-cigarettes because I enjoyed the taste. I had no real intention to quit "cigarettes." Complete and painless cessation of combustible cigarettes turned out to be a pleasant side effect for me.

Smoking and health: what do patients and hospital staff think? A snapshot from a metropolitan hospital in Melbourne | Muhammad Aziz Rahman - Academia.edu

 

[Nermal]

No real intent to quit I can understand. Lara. Still, at my former level of smoking meant that any time spent vaping took time away from smoking. With over 50 years smoking, I still haven't figured out how to do both at the same time.

 

[Freshair]

In my family and circle of friends, out of the 15 or so people I know who have tried ecigs, do you know how many successfully quit? 13. That's right. That's an 86% success rate!!!! I'm shocked to hear the overall average is only 18%.

 

[choochoogranny]

Was the good doctor's participants using first or at least second generation vaping gear?