Tried the Gum or Patch and Still Smoking ? Research Promises

Posted by quitkey on September 11th, 2013

RESTON, Va., August 29, 2013 -- A study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows that smokers who use nicotine gum to stop smoking can almost triple their chance of success by pacing their gum use with the aid of a tiny hand-held computer, commercially known as LifeSign® QuitKey®.

The study conducted by PICS, Inc. of Reston, Virginia, divided 85 smokers into two groups. One group received nicotine gum alone and were told to follow manufacturer's instructions for use. The other group received the QuitKey Program, which included the QuitKey computer in addition to the gum. Subjects in the QuitKey Plus Gum group began treatment by using the computer to record their normal smoking for a seven day baseline period. At the end of baseline, subjects quit smoking and began chewing nicotine gum on a personalized schedule administered by the computer. Initially, the computer provided sufficient gum to prevent withdrawal and relapse to smoking. As the schedule progressed, the amount of gum was decreased gradually to the point of complete abstinence.

The principle findings of the study were significantly better treatment outcomes for the QuitKey Plus Gum group than for the gum only group across a variety of measures. More subjects in the QuitKey condition were abstinent at post-treatment (29% vs. 11%); the percentage of subjects who quit for at least 24-hours was greater (76% vs. 39%); and latency from first 24-hour quit to resumption of three different smoking end points (first "slip," first "lapse," and first "relapse") was longer for subjects in the QuitKey condition ( http://www.QuitKey.com offers this and other studies in their entirety.)

There is compelling theoretical rationale to explain why scheduled gradual reduction for gum should be more effective than ad lib gum use. Scheduled, gradual reduction is effective because it addresses the primary drawback of ad lib nicotine gum use: inappropriate dosage. The computerized program both prevents users from chewing too much or too little gum. Too much gum can increase side effects or result in long term addiction to gum. Conversely, too little gum may fail to prevent withdrawal symptoms, thereby precipitating a relapse to smoking.

On the basis of these impressive results, PICS applied for follow-up grants from the National Cancer Institute to commercialize its innovation. Results of this study also suggest the potential for combining LifeSign with the nicotine patch and the nicotine inhaler as well as with the newer electronic cigarettes. PICS was awarded another National Cancer Institute grant to study the efficacy of the nicotine patch combined with QuitKey. The original QuitKey Stop Smoking computer was developed with grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. To date, over one million people worldwide have used QuitKey to quit smoking.

Editor's Note: For more information about PICS please contact Al Behar, CEO PICS, Inc. at 703-758-1400 or visit their homepage at http://www.LifeSignUSA.com.