A study on the efficacy and tolerability of Chinese traditional medicine using herbal patches in smoking cessation

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is a major public health issue in both developed and developing countries. There is estimated to be over a billion smokers in the world today, with almost one third of them living in China. In China, during the mid-1990s there were between 500,000 - 700,000 annual tobacco-related deaths. This predicted number of deaths could rise to nearly three million people a year by 2050. Many smokers in China want to quit, but Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is expensive in the East as the standard of living in China is a great deal lower than that in the West. The treatment costs more and the duration IS about 4-6 weeks. Zhong Mai Yan Kе (Joymain Nicofree) - a Chinese herbal preparation for smoking cessation was produced in 1997 in China. It is claimed that Zhong Mai Yan Kе is effective but the claim has not been verified. In this study, the effectiveness of Zhong Mai Yan Kе was tested. Research Design Method: Open Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). Sample: 64 volunteers were recruited based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. 50 and 14 volunteers were allocated randomly to the treatment group and the control group. Intervention: Zhong Mai Yan Kе was given to the treatment group whereas the control group was given a placebo. Location: Dalian city in China. Results: 49 in the treatment group and 14 in the control group completed the study. The initial results at the end of the 9- day treatment were 51.0% (n=25) managed to stop smoking; 34.7% (n=17) managed to reduce smoking consumption and 14.3% (n=7) failed to quit smoking. None (100%) in the control group managed to stop or reduce smoking consumption. Only few people in the treatment group suffered from side effects, such as nausea and dizziness. The follow-up results 3 months after the treatment were 43% (21 out of the 25 quitters) managed to be ex-smokers; 38.8% (n=19) managed to reduce smoking consumption and 18.4% (n=9) failed to quit smoking. None (100%) in the control group managed to stop or reduce smoking consumption. No one suffered from any side effects 3 months after the trial. Conclusion Zhong Mai Yan Kе is an effective agent for smoking cessation. The findings of the present study suggest that Zhong Mai Yan Kе could be effective non-nicotine based herbal medicine for smoking cessation for worldwide use subject to further validation by other researchers.