The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Procaine fails to improve dementia

     More than 100 million people in over 70 countries use procaine preparations.

    This Cochrane review tells us if it’s worth the effort.

    First, the details.

    • 3 studies involving 427 patients were included in this review.
    • None reported any criteria for measuring cognitive decline and dementia.
    • Poor quality of the studies prevented combining results for a meta-analysis of the data.

    And, the results.

    • In patients with dementia, a small study suggested a detrimental effect.
    • 2 studies of healthy elderly persons suggested a positive effect of procaine preparation on cognitive (reasoning) function.
    • Combining the results from 2 studies showed significantly more side effects with procaine than placebo.
    • Side effects included restlessness, dizziness, migraine headaches, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “The evidence for detrimental effects of procaine and its preparations is stronger than the evidence for benefit in preventing and/or treating dementia or cognitive impairment.”

    “The clear evidence of side effects suggests that the risks might outweigh the benefits.”

    10/10/08 18:40 JR

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