Efficacy of combined varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy compared with varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy alone for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.
2 · The registry
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.
3 · Its place in the literature
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
5 · Who and what money
Authors and funding
19 authors.
Xinmei ZhouNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Tobacco Control and Prevention of Respiratory Diseases, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6775-8583
Zhenxiao HuangSchool of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0008-7611-9071
Qingqing SongChina-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8027-1534
Xin XiaSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0000-3101-2555
Anqi ChengNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Tobacco Control and Prevention of Respiratory Diseases, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0000-4245-0315
Zhao LiuNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Tobacco Control and Prevention of Respiratory Diseases, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9529-3720
Min WangChina-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0005-1155-1558
Tingfen JiChina-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1245-8225
Ailifeire AihemaitiChina-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0007-2404-2466
Ying XieSchool of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7941-5772
Yi LiuSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0003-8033-4341
Yuxin ShiSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Shunyi ShiSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Yingman GaoSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0007-4235-851X
Hang LiuSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Jiahui HeChina-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Liang ZhaoNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Tobacco Control and Prevention of Respiratory Diseases, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0007-5366-4088
Dan XiaoNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Tobacco Control and Prevention of Respiratory Diseases, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3691-7852
Chen WangNational Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7857-5435
Funding
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Initiative for Innovative Medicine CAMS 2021-I2M-1-010Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2023ZD0506400
6 · The paper itself
Abstract
aimsTo assess whether combining nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with varenicline improves long-term smoking cessation rates compared with varenicline or NRT alone.
methodSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted through June 2025. The primary outcome was smoking abstinence at the longest follow-up (≥6 months). Secondary outcomes included adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. The protocol was pre-registered in the PROSPERO (registration number CRD42024600510).
resultsSeven trials including 2631 participants met inclusion criteria. Compared with varenicline alone, combination therapy was associated with statistically significantly higher abstinence rates at the longest follow-up (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.04-1.69; 5 studies; I
conclusionsLow-certainty evidence indicates that combining varenicline with nicotine replacement therapy may improve long-term smoking cessation rates compared with varenicline alone and is generally well tolerated.
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.