ReviewTobacco induced diseases2022
Electronic cigarettes versus nicotine-replacement therapy for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Review in Tobacco induced diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence of dual use of combustible tobacco and E-cigarettes among pregnant smokers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Trial
- Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: An overview of systematic reviews and evidence and gap map.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Review
- Exposure to electronic cigarette aerosols triggers alterations in genomic DNA methylation that impacts cancer pathways in mice.Inhalation toxicology · 2026Article
- Reverse spin bias: preliminary observations of reporting bias in medical systematic reviews.Research integrity and peer review · 2026Article
- E-Cigarette switching and financial incentives to promote combustible cigarette cessation among adults accessing shelter services: A pilot study.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2024Article
- Assessment of e-cigarette dependence and influencing factors among Palestinian young adults: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Tobacco Smoking or Nicotine Phenotype and Severity of Clinical Presentation at the Emergency Department (SMOPHED): Protocol for a Noninterventional Observational Study.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Susceptibility to e-cigarette among high school students: a study based on the ecological model of health behavior.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Non-pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.BMC medicine · 2023Review
- Knowledge and awareness of nicotine, nicotine replacement therapy, and electronic cigarettes among general practitioners with a special interest in respiratory medicine in China.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionNicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been frequently used for smoking cessation. The aim of this review is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of e-cigarettes versus NRT for smoking cessation.
methodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library from inception to 10 October 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing e-cigarettes versus NRT for smoking cessation. Two authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts for eligibility. Paired authors extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and used GRADE (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) to rate the certainty of evidence.
resultsThe study included five RCTs with 1748 participants. The meta-analysis suggested the e-cigarettes versus NRT increased the ≥6 months continuous abstinence rate (RR=1.67; 95% CI: 1.21-2.28; 55 more per 1000 participants, low certainty), and 7-day point abstinence rate at ≥6 months follow-up (RR=1.43; 95% CI: 1.19-1.72; 84 more per 1000, low certainty). However, we found no evidence that e-cigarettes versus NRT increased 3-6 months continuous abstinence rate (RR=1.07; 95% CI: 0.73-1.57; 10 more per 1000, very low certainty) and <3 months continuous abstinence rate (RR=1.20; 95% CI: 0.90-1.60; 54 more per 1000, low certainty); similar results were found at <3 months follow-up (RR=1.19; 95% CI: 0.92-1.54; 55 more per 1000, very low certainty) and 3-6 months follow-up in 7-day point abstinence rate (RR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.70-1.44; 2 more per 1000, very low certainty). The adverse events were not significant between e-cigarettes and NRT other than throat irritation (RR=1.27; 95% CI: 1.13-1.42; 118 more per 1000, low certainty).
conclusionsE-cigarettes appeared to be superior to NRT in ≥6 months continuous abstinence rate and 7-day point abstinence rate. At short-term duration, we found no evidence that e-cigarettes compared to NRT increased the <6 months continuous abstinence rate and 7-day point abstinence rate.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.