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.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Negative effects of herbals on asthma control

    Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City examined the association among the use of herbals and patients’ adherence to prescribed inhaled steroids, and drug treatment and disease beliefs.

    First, the details.

    • 326 adults with persistent asthma were asked about their use of CAM (teas, herbs, and rubs) to treat asthma in the prior 6 months.
    • The relationships among herbal remedy use, adherence to inhaled steroids, and medication and disease beliefs were assessed.

    And, the results.

    • 25% of patients reported using herbal remedies.
    • Herbal remedy use was associated with decreased adherence to taking inhaled corticosteroids and increased severity of asthma.
    • Herbal remedy users were also more likely to worry about the side effects of inhaled corticosteroid treatment.

    The bottom line?

    Based on these findings, the authors concluded, “Physicians should routinely ask patients with asthma about CAM use, especially those whose asthma is poorly controlled.”

    2/3/10 21:17 JR

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