Summary of the main results
From the three studies on Varenicline, it was found that although it has
an effect in the short term, it has no long-term effects (more than 12
weeks). However, the generalizability of the results is limited due to
the small sample sizes and the wide confidence intervals of these
studies. Therefore, the specific effects of Varenicline remain unclear,
and the conclusions should be interpreted prudently.
There were three studies on Naltrexone, and the meta-analysis showed
that it had no positive effect on smokers. It is worth pointing out that
one of the studies of Naltrexone explored its effectiveness for smoking
cessation in light drinkers and heavy drinkers. According to the
original study’s explanation, Naltrexone was ineffective for light
drinkers but effective for heavy drinkers. However, the present analysis
of the 95% confidence intervals showed that Naltrexone had no smoking
cessation effect on either type of drinker.
As for Topiramate and Bupropion, the result indicated that neither had a
good effect on smoking cessation. However, the smoking cessation effects
of these two drugs have been explored in very few studies. As such, the
conclusions may change with further studies in the future.
The results showed that there was no significant difference in the
occurrence of adverse events between the drug group and the placebo
group in general (Table 2). The symptoms occurred equally in people who
did or did not receive the drug treatment, so these drugs are considered
safe to use. However, clinicians and researchers should also be alert to
people who may overreact to these drugs. If a serious adverse reaction
occurs, the individual should terminate their participation in the
trial.