Estimating the short-term clinical and economic benefits of smoking cessation: do we have it right?

Abstract

Smoking cessation is cost effective from a long-term perspective, but less is known about its short-term cost–effectiveness. Short-term health benefits are clear for certain groups, such as cardiovascular patients, pregnant women and patients undergoing surgery. Smoking cessation reduces overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality and cancer-related mortality within 5 years of quitting, and, in some cases, the risks are reduced to the levels of never smokers. In this article, conducted from a USA policy perspective, we found some evidence of the clinical and economic benefits of smoking cessation in the short term, which could be incorporated into cost–effectiveness studies. Nonetheless, the policy and social welfare implications of a short-term focus must be carefully evaluated, considering the established favorable long-term cost–effectiveness of smoking cessation.

Keywords::

• healthcare cost
• smoking cessation
• time factor

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Mika K Green and Christine Nichols, research assistants at Boston Health Economics, for assistance with the literature search and manuscript preparation.

Financial disclosure

Funding for this study was provided by Pfizer Inc. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.