1.A Systematic Review on Effectiveness of Nicotine-Based and NonNicotine Based Drug Delivery System for Smoking Cessation Among the Elderly
Amri Nurhakim Mat Husin ; Nurul Atifah Azmi ; Nurul Hanis Mohd Sabari ; Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamed ; Nurul Ain Mohammad Hamdi ; Muhammad Salahuddin Haris
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2023;19(No.1):232-241
Introduction: Smoking is associated with a higher risk of mortality, especially in smokers with cardiovascular and
respiratory diseases. Smoking cessation remains the most effective approach in reducing smoking-related illness risks
at all ages. For elderly smokers, smoking cessation has been proved to prolong life expectancy and reduce the risk of
stroke and ischemic heart disease. However, a wide selection of smoking cessation medications makes prescribing
challenging, especially among elderly smokers. Inability to recommend the best treatment may reduce the smoking
cessation success rate in the elderly. Therefore, this study compares the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy available
and correlate the effect of ageing on the effectiveness, leading to the recommendation of the best medication for
elderly smokers. Method: A systematic searching strategy was performed in three different databases by using predetermined search strings. Results: Overall, this systematic review revealed that varenicline showed the greatest smoking cessation rate among the elderly, followed by bupropion and NRT. Conclusion: It is suggested that varenicline
offered the best medical aid for smoking cessation in the elderly.