TY - JOUR T1 - Varenicline and combination nicotine replacement therapy are the most effective pharmacotherapies for treating tobacco use JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 212 LP - 213 DO - 10.1136/eb-2013-101462 VL - 18 IS - 6 AU - Jon O Ebbert Y1 - 2013/12/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/18/6/212.abstract N2 - Commentary on: Cahill K, Stevens S, Perera R, et al.Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev2013;(5):CD009329. If current trends continue, tobacco use will cause one billion premature deaths globally this century.1 Predominantly in the form of cigarettes, smoking causes 12% of male and 6% female deaths around the world annually.2 Preventing tobacco-related diseases in cigarette smokers commonly requires treatment; and pharmacotherapy is a cornerstone of therapy. Several pharmacotherapies are currently available and others have been evaluated and abandoned. Understanding their comparative efficacies and risks will help guide treatment, policy and future research. Cahill and colleagues searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) from inception through to November 2012. Cochrane systematic reviews include only randomised clinical trials. The quality was assessed using standardised methodologies. Network meta-analyses were conducted, which use information across all available comparisons … ER -