Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (few trials).
A Cochrane review included 3 studies with a total of 2 247 subjects comparing cytisine with placebo or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Twotrials found that more participants taking cytisine stopped smoking compared with placebo at longest follow-up (24 weeks in one and 52 weeks in another trial) with a pooled RR of 3.98 (95% CI 2.01 to 7.87; n=937; low-quality evidence). However, absolute quit rates were modest. One trial comparing cytisine with NRT found a benefit for cytisine at 6 months (RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.80; n=1310).
Date of latest search: 12 May 2015