Adrienne L. Johnson, Jaqueline C. Avila, Leslie Christensen, et al. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 2025, 00, 1–12
Middle-aged and older adults (aged ≥ 45 years) have historically been overlooked in tobacco research and policy despite a quit rate that is half of younger adults and the greatest near-term harms of tobacco use. A scoping review was conducted on smoking cessation treatment efficacy and its impact on health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults who smoke. This review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. A total of 44 articles met eligibility criteria (42 RCTs and two reviews). Six focused on health outcomes, 36 focused on cessation outcomes, and four studies examined both health outcomes and cessation success. Six-month cessation rates ranged from 13% to 52%. Most studies did not stratify by age, but those that did suggested older adults achieved cessation rates equal to or exceeding younger adults with combined intervention of counseling and cessation medications. Many of the studies did not explicitly focus on older adults, but instead focused on medical conditions more prevalent within aging populations. Future research on older adults should clarify age definitions and report stratified analyses by age.
24 Mar, 2026