The Oncology Nursing Society has posted a table that summarizes CAM studies on the treatment of nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. The studies were published between 1988 and 2005.
Here’s a summary of their findings.
Continue reading Evaluating CAM to treat nausea and vomiting in cancer patients
Quercetin (kwur’-si-tin) is a naturally occurring anti-oxidant in red wine, red apples, green tea, and broccoli.
The average person consumes 25 to 50 mg of quercetin a day. In this double-blind study, 20 cyclists took 1,000 mg of quercetin a day or placebo for five weeks.
Continue reading Using quercetin to reduce illness and maintain mental performance
In her book, The Natural History of Medicinal Plants, Dr. Judith Sumner states, “Now, about 40% of all medicinal prescriptions in the United States contain at least one plant-derived ingredient, and European physicians routinely recommend to their patients herbs such as chamomile and coneflower.”
Here’s a report from India that gives insight into the extensive work being done by just one group of researchers to identify new drugs from plants.
Continue reading The continuing search to discover medicines from plants
Medical students have a long-standing interest in learning more about CAM.
Here’s what they think at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.
Researchers from the department of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter in the UK evaluated the results of 91 studies.
Here are the their findings where more than one study was available.
Continue reading A review of homeopathy for childhood and adolescence ailments
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria has an exhaustive review.
I summarize it here.
These researchers observed an association between anxiety disorders and substance abuse. They also observed that substance abusers tend to have poor dietary habits.
Here’s what they did.
Continue reading Using omega-3 fatty acids to treat anxiety in substance abusers
Arnica (Arnica montana) is used in herbal medicine for relief of bruises, stiffness, and muscle soreness.
Here’s a study that looked at the potential for homeopathic arnica to reduce swelling and pain following 3 different operations in patients who required knee surgery.
The details.
It’s not clear to me why it worked in one group but not in the other two.
But we’ll accept it for what it is.
2/8/07 23:03 JR
Using soy foods to replace foods high in animal protein that contain fat and cholesterol might help improve cholesterol levels and confer benefits to cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women.
Lipids Online has a good summary of a study just published in the journal, Menopause.
Continue reading Soy protein improves cholesterol in postmenopausal women
In one California fertility clinic acupuncture is standard therapy for 85% of women. Now, three clinical trials published this year report an improved rate of pregnancy among women undergoing in vitro fertilization and acupuncture.
The Physicians’ Information and Education Resource (PIER) was developed by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It includes tools designed by the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance (AQA) that are intended to help improve preventive health services and patient outcomes in asthma, coronary artery disease, diabetes, depression, falls, and heart failure.
Interestingly, the PIER modules include information on CAM, as well as ethical and legal issues, and procedures for screening and prevention. PIER is available online to members of the American College of Physicians. This is good because attention to CAM by ACP enhances its perceived worth among its members.
But what about the rest of us?
This past June, the American Heart Association (AHA) categorized soy as a dietary factor with unproven or uncertain effects on cardiovascular disease.
Recent studies do not confirm direct benefit of consuming soy on plasma cholesterol levels.
Policosanol is available in the United States as a nutritional supplement with claims that it lowers cholesterol levels. It has been covered extensively on this blog.
With the increase in combination therapy to control hypercholesterolemia, its now been tried and failed when used in combination with atorvastatin (Lipitor).
Continue reading More evidence that policosanol does not lower cholesterol
There’s really not enough evidence to be certain of the risk to benefit ratio in elderly patients. But what is known is summarized in a Cochrane review.
Continue reading Should older hospitalized patients participate in exercise programs?
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic anxiety and exaggerated worry and tension even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.
Based on the results of clinical studies, psychological therapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles is effective treatment for (GAD) — at least short-term.
Continue reading Using behavioral therapy to treat generalized anxiety disorder
Agitated behavior occurs in nearly half of patients with dementia. It can be the difference between a person qualifying for different levels (and cost) of nursing home care.
The problem is that the nursing staff is limited in using drugs to control it.
Now, the results of a small study at the National Yang-Ming University in Taipei, Taiwan suggest that acupressure might be a useful alternative.
Continue reading Acupressure to treat agitation in people with dementia
Did you know that when it debuted in 1911, Crisco, the queen (oops; sexist reference) of trans fat products, was hailed as a healthful alternative to butter and lard.
Times have changed, and Crisco has eliminated trans fats from its formula.
This doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy. We’ll see if the change is for the better.
1/27/07 00:16 JR
The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a resolution that promotes education of medical doctors and medical students on the “benefits, risks, and efficacy” of CAM.
Continue reading AMA supports more CAM education for doctors and medical students
Aquaculture supplies about one-third of the fish and shellfish sold today. Now, advances in this field are making aquaculturists more sensitive to the welfare of farmed fish in their final days and the potential for stress to exert an adverse effect on the quality of seafood.
That’s nice. But what’s it got to do with me.
A recent study in The Lancet medical journal found that over the long term, it appears that taking folic acid improves cognitive function (eg, perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning) in older adults.
Not so fast.
Continue reading Taking folic acid to slow cognitive decline? Hold off for a while.
s?