[Impacts of nicotine metabolite rate and acupuncture frequency on smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial]

To compare the efficacy of different acupuncture frequencies in tobacco-dependent patients and explore the impact of nicotine metabolite rate (NMR) on smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture.

A total of 120 cases of tobacco-dependent patients were randomly divided into a high-frequency group (60 cases, 12 cases dropped off) and a low-frequency group (60 cases, 6 cases dropped off). In the two groups, smoking cessation counseling was provided prior to acupuncture. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Lieque (LU 7), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. Additionally, electric stimulation was added at Lieque (LU 7) and Zusanli (ST 36), with continuous wave, 15 Hz in frequency. The duration of treatment was 8 weeks in either group. In the high-frequency group, the treatment was given 5 times weekly from week 1 to week 4, and was 3 times weekly from week 5 to week 8. In the low-frequency group, the treatment was given 3 times weekly from week 1 to week 4, and was twice a week from week 5 to week 8. The immediate withdrawal rate, persistent withdrawal rate, the score of Fagerstrőm test for nicotine dependence (FTND) before and after treatment, as well as the score of Minnesota nicotine withdrawal scale (MNWS) in 1 and 8 weeks of treatment were compared among the patients with high and low NMR between the two groups separately. The Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture.

After treatment, there was no statistical significance of the differences in the immediate withdrawal rate (35.4% [17/48] vs 29.6% [16/54]) and the persistent withdrawal rate (33.3% [16/48] vs 25.9% [14/54]) between the high-frequency group and the low-frequency group (P>0.05). The difference in withdrawal rate had no statistical significance between high and low NMR patients (P>0.05). FTND scores after treatment were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01) and MNWS scores were lower than those in 1 week of treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups. However, the differences had no statistical significance between the two groups and between the patients with high NMR and low NMR (P>0.05). Age, education level and NMR were the influencing factors of smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture (P<0.05).

Acupuncture with different frequencies has no obvious impact on the efficacy in tobacco-dependent patients. The lower nicotine metabolite rate in individuals, the better efficacy of acupuncture. The smokers with high nicotine metabolite rate may obtain a better effect of cessation in the high-frequency intervention with acupuncture.