The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for September, 2012

Eating cherries to lower the risk of gout attacks

Sunday, September 30th, 2012

Prior studies suggest that cherry products have urate-lowering effects and anti-inflammatory properties, with the potential to reduce gout pain.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, in Massachusetts studied the relationship between cherry intake and the risk of recurrent gout attacks among people with gout. (more…)

Risk of injury to children who use trampolines

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Trampoline jumping is a beneficial and constructive physical exercise for children, but it has a significant risk for injuries.

Now, after reviewing the evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics is discouraging recreational use of trampolines in the home. (more…)

Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Fewer adolescents believe that regular cannabis use is harmful to health. Along with this, adolescents are starting to smoke weed at younger ages, and more adolescents are using cannabis daily.

Researchers at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, tested the association between persistent cannabis use and neuropsychological decline to determine whether it’s concentrated among cannabis users who start smoking during their adolescent years. (more…)

Reducing the rate and risk of falling

Saturday, September 15th, 2012

Approximately 30% of people over 65 years of age living in the community fall each year.

This Cochrane review updates what we know. (more…)

Review of art therapies in dementia care

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

There’s lots of interest, but nobody ever reviewed the evidence before this.

Researchers at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts, accepted the challenge. (more…)

Marijuana increases the risk of testicular cancer

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Testicular cancer has increased steadily, but the cause(s) remains elusive.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, evaluated the relation between testicular cancer and exposure to marijuana and other recreational drugs. (more…)

Acupuncture: Effective to treat chronic pain

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Although it’s widely used for chronic pain, there’s controversy as to its value.

Now, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, reviewed the evidence in 4 chronic pain conditions. (more…)

CAM use among people with high blood pressure

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the overall prevalence of hypertension among US adults between 2003 and 2010 was 30%, or about 67 million people. About 36 million (54%) had uncontrolled hypertension.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, examined the prevalence of CAM use among older adults with and without diagnosed high blood pressure and the degree to which CAM is used specifically for the treatment of high blood pressure. (more…)

Testing the effect of vitamin D treatment on symptoms of depression

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Low vitamin D levels are associated with depressive symptoms, especially in people with a history of depression.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, evaluated the impact of daily supplementation with vitamin D combined with elemental calcium on depression. (more…)

McDonald’s is setting up vegetarian outlets

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

That’s right. Financial Times reports veggie only outlets will appear in Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, the holiest site of India’s minority Sikh faith, and the small town of Katra, the base for Hindus visiting the mountain shrine of Vaishno Devi, the second busiest pilgrimage spot in India. (more…)

Health effects of organic vs conventional foods

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Organic food is grown without using synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and insecticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. It cannot be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms or genetically modified organisms, and cannot be grown using sewage sludge fertilizer.

Researchers at Stanford University, in California, reviewed the evidence that farming by these criteria is better than conventional methods. (more…)