Complementary Medicine Research最新文献

Background: Cupping therapy, a traditional treatment method, has been shown to be effective in various studies. However, there have been reports of significant neurological complications following cupping therapy. This comprehensive review aimed to investigate the important and potentially severe neurological complications documented in the literature.

Summary: The review analyzed case reports and case studies published in three major databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane) up to June 2024. The search strategy involved a three-step process, where two traditional medicine experts independently searched for case reports and published case series, and then a 3-person committee consisting of two traditional medicine experts and a neurologist reviewed the selected articles. Out of 280 case reports and case series, 12 studies were included in the review, reporting 14 patients with neurological complications. The majority of cases (7/14) involved interventions combining cupping with other traditional medicine manual therapies. Complications reported included vascular and infectious complications, with subdural hemorrhage being the most common (4/14). Most patients (11/14) were free of underlying diseases, and all but 3 patients recovered from their complications with surgical and medical treatments.

Key messages: The study concludes that although rare, neurological complications of cupping therapy can be severe and potentially life-threatening. Therefore, it is essential for traditional medicine practitioners to be aware of these risks and take necessary precautions to prevent them. Adopting proper techniques and adhering to health guidelines can help mitigate the likelihood of complications. The creation of an international system to record and report the side effects of cupping therapy is also recommended.

Introduction: Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a traditional herbal remedy with various pharmacological activities mainly used for digestive and respiratory ailments. GutGard® is a flavonoid-rich, deglycyrrhizinated liquorice root extract and is standardized to glabridin (≥3.5% w/w), and others viz., glabrol, eicosanyl caffeate, docosyl caffeate, and total flavonoids (≥10% w/w) with glycyrrhizin (≤3.0% w/w)  as glycyrrhizin causes electrolyte imbalance, hypertension, and water retention. Hence, the objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of GutGard® in managing gastroesophageal reflux (GER)-related symptoms when compared to placebo.

Methods: It was a double-blind, parallel group, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with participants randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either the placebo group or GutGard® group. The duration of the interventions/treatment was for 28 days and the follow-up visits were done at day 7, day 14, day 28, and day 35. A telephonic follow-up was also done on day 21. The primary outcome measures studied was the change in the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related Quality of Life and the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptom Assessment Scale.

Results: We screened a total of n = 296 participants and enrolled n = 200 participants and obtained written, informed consent from them. Participants in the GutGard® group reported a significantly better quality of life at the end of the intervention period (p = 0.014). They also reported earlier resolution of symptoms of GER as against the placebo group, especially the symptoms of heartburn (p = 0.017 on day 14 and p = 0.005 on day 28) and regurgitation (p = 0.025 on day 7, p = 0.029 on day 14, and p = 0.022 on day 28).

Conclusions: The GutGard® group showed better and earlier resolution (within 2 weeks) of symptoms of GER as against the placebo group, especially heartburn and regurgitation.

Introduction: Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a traditional herbal remedy with various pharmacological activities mainly used for digestive and respiratory ailments. GutGard® is a flavonoid-rich, deglycyrrhizinated liquorice root extract and is standardized to glabridin (≥3.5% w/w), and others viz., glabrol, eicosanyl caffeate, docosyl caffeate, and total flavonoids (≥10% w/w) with glycyrrhizin (≤3.0% w/w)  as glycyrrhizin causes electrolyte imbalance, hypertension, and water retention. Hence, the objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of GutGard® in managing gastroesophageal reflux (GER)-related symptoms when compared to placebo.

Methods: It was a double-blind, parallel group, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with participants randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either the placebo group or GutGard® group. The duration of the interventions/treatment was for 28 days and the fo

Hintergrund: Long COVID und das Post-COVID-Syndrom sind langfristige Folgen einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion, die eine Vielzahl physischer, kognitiver und psychischer Symptome hervorrufen können. Dazu gehören Erschöpfung, Atemnot, Gedächtnisstörungen und Schlafprobleme. Die zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen sind noch nicht vollständig geklärt, umfassen jedoch persistierende Viruspartikel, mikrovaskuläre Dysfunktionen, Autoimmunreaktionen und eine Dysregulation des autonomen Nervensystems. Fragestellung: Welchen Nutzen könnten standardisierte Ginkgo-biloba-Extrakte aufgrund ihrer pharmakologischen Wirkungen und ihrer klinischen Wirksamkeit bei Long COVID und Post-COVID-Syndrom bringen? Zusammenfassung: Die Diagnose von Long COVID bleibt aufgrund fehlender standardisierter Tests eine Herausforderung. Therapeutisch wird ein multimodaler Ansatz empfohlen, der symptomatische Medikation, Physiotherapie, Psychotherapie sowie Ernährungs- und Bewegungstherapie umfasst. Ein vielversprechender ergänzender Therapieansatz ist die Verwendung von standardisierten Ginkgo-biloba-Extrakten. Dank ihrer antioxidativen, entzündungshemmenden und neuroprotektiven Eigenschaften könnten sie zur Verbesserung kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen, Fatigue und kardiovaskulärer Symptome beitragen. Erste Studien und Fallberichte deuten auf positive Effekte hin, jedoch sind weitere klinische Untersuchungen erforderlich, um die Wirksamkeit zu bestätigen. Kernaussagen: Long COVID und das Post-COVID-Syndrom betreffen zahlreiche Organsysteme und beeinträchtigen die Lebensqualität erheblich. Die Diagnose bleibt schwierig, da es keine spezifischen Tests gibt. Eine multimodale Therapie ist derzeit der vielversprechendste Behandlungsansatz. Standardisierte Ginkgo-biloba-Extrakte zeigen in ersten Studien positive Effekte auf neurokognitive und kardiovaskuläre Symptome.

Introduction: The aim of this systematic literature review was to assess the effects of creative arts therapies on the health and well-being of overweight/obese patients.

Methods: The database search was conducted in "American Search Ultimate, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ERIC, MEDLINE (via PubMed), OpenDissertations, PSYNDEX Literature with PSYNDEX Test, SocINDEX, SocINDEX with Full Text," covering the period from 2000 to 2024. Studies with evidence level I-IV, subjects with a BMI >25 were included.

Results: Twelve studies, including five controlled studies, were analysed. Significant results were achieved in self-esteem, quality of life, body awareness, dissatisfaction with one's own body, social relationships, changes in health and eating behaviour; there was a lower impact on body image, emotional eating, communication skills, and dealing with your own body shape.

Discussion/conclusion: Creative arts therapies can make a valuable contribution to the health promotion for overweight individuals. Increased integration into weight reduction programs would be a logical next step. Future research should place greater emphasis on increasing sample sizes, employing control groups, specifying types of interventions and settings, and expanding the inclusion of children and adolescents as target groups to validate existing findings and to enhance the informative value of the results.

Background: Homeopathy, included in traditional and complementary medicine (TCM), is defined as a complementary treatment that aims to improve health through personalized therapy. Physicians and pharmacists play a crucial role in the practice of homeopathy and the delivery of homeopathic medicinal products to the public in Türkiye. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, thoughts, and attitudes of physicians and pharmacists on homeopathy in accordance with Turkish regulations.

Methods: This descriptive study was carried out on physicians and pharmacists via a web-based questionnaire method. The survey form includes three sections and twenty-three questions. Participants received the survey form via Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. A total of 475 questionnaires that met the data quality criteria were included in the study. The analysis of the data was performed with the SPSS 23.0 statistical program, with a statistical significance level set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study population included 70.3% (n = 334) pharmacists and 29.7% (n = 141) physicians. The study's results demonstrate that 86.5% of participants had heard of the concept of homeopathy. It was found that a higher rate of hearing about homeopathy was associated with being a pharmacist (OR: 31.5, p = 0.000) and having 10 years or more of professional experience (OR: 7.274, p = 0.000). The participants had correct knowledge about the definition and basic principles of homeopathy. The respondents lacked knowledge on certain aspects of the regulation of homeopathic practice in Türkiye. The primary source of information for pharmacists was undergraduate courses (n = 185, 58.2%), but for physicians, it was social media/television (n = 41, 50.0%). Of the participants, 70.1% (n = 288) thought that homeopathy needs to be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum, and 91.7% of participants thought that further scientific research on homeopathy is required.

Conclusion: Homeopathy courses should be integrated into undergraduate education to improve the awareness of healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the organization of seminars and training courses would enhance their knowledge of the relevant subject.

Objective: This study evaluates the efficacy of homeopathic treatment for acute otitis media (AOM) in children, comparing outcomes to standard allopathic treatments. Building on promising pilot study results that suggested homeopathy's non-inferiority, this multicenter trial aimed to validate these findings and assess their broader clinical applicability.

Method: This open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted on children (aged 02 to 12 years), suffering from AOM. Primary outcome was changes in Acute Otitis Media-Severity of Symptoms (AOM-SOS) scale and Tympanic Membrane Examination Scale (TMES) over 21 days and time to improvement in pain through Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) over 10 days. The secondary outcomes were the need for antibiotics during acute AOM and the recurrence over 12 months.

Results: Intention-to-treat analysis was carried out on 222 children: homeopathy (n = 116) (H group), allopathy (n = 106) (A group). Statistically significant reduction in AOM-SOS+TMES score in H group compared to A group was observed at time point day 3 (mean diff.±SE: 1.67 ± 0.47; 95% CI: 0.75 to 2.59; p = 0.001) and at day 7 (mean diff.±SE: 1.22 ± 0.56; 95% CI: 0.13 to 2.31, p = 0.028) favored homeopathy. However, the median time for FPS-R score to become zero by day 10 (H = 3 days, A = 4 days) was statistically insignificant (p = 0.29). None of the children in the H group required antibiotics, whereas it was required in 14 children (12.4%) in A group.

Conclusion: Homeopathic treatment helped in managing AOM in children similar to that of allopathic treatment. Homeopathy can be a safe treatment approach in managing this condition. Further blinded studies are warranted.

Introduction: This systematic review aimed to assess the clinical evidence supporting the combination of syndrome differentiation (SD)-based herbal medicine (HM) and Western medicine (WM) in treating Parkinson's disease (PD)-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and -dementia (PDD).

Methods: Ten electronic bibliographic databases were searched from inception to March 4, 2024, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing SD-based HM plus conventional therapies with conventional therapies alone for PD-MCI and PDD. Two authors independently screened and selected studies and extracted data related to trial quality, characteristics, and results. The mean difference (MD) was used to analyze continuous variables, and meta-analysis was performed using Reviewer Manager 5.4 software. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

Results: For the 15 articles selected for review, 12 trials were included in the meta-analysis: 9 comprising 688 patients with PD-MCI and 3 comprising 264 patients with PDD and with a type of SD, such as "blood stasis and stirring wind" or "deficiency of the liver-kidney." The meta-analysis showed significant differences favoring HM plus WM with respect to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score for PD-MCI (MD = 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI; 1.40, 3.19]; p < 0.00001, I2 = 76%) and PDD (MD = 3.14, 95% CI [0.48, 5.81]; p = 0.02, I2 = 82%) compared with WM alone. Improvement of cognitive impairment treated using "deficiency of the liver-kidney" SD-based HM plus WM in PD-MCI was more beneficial than that treated using WM alone.

Conclusions: SD-based HM may serve as an adjunctive treatment for PD-MCI and PDD, improving cognitive function and alleviating PD symptoms. No severe adverse event was observed in the HM plus WM group, suggesting that HM may be safe for patients with cognitive impairment in PD. However, evidence regarding the efficacy of HM based on SD for PD-MCI and PDD is of poor quality, and all studies were conducted in China. Thus, and rigorous, multicenter, and international RCTs are required.

Background: The quality of homeopathic research studies is controversially discussed. In order to improve, the overall assessment of homeopathic studies and subsequently facilitate evidence-based clinical decision-making, we aimed to combine methodological tools for scientific rigor with tools for external and model validity into one global tool.

Method: Against the background of previous literature and the results of a preparatory survey, a first draft of a potential overarching tool was presented to an expert panel. Then, Delphi feedback rounds were conducted to elicit responses on the feasibility. The resulting preliminary tool was pilot-tested by five research experts on five randomly selected studies. After further optimization, another five studies were assessed by the same experts and another three experts tested the second version. The ratings were tested for interrater-reliability using Gwet's AC2.

Results: The appraisal tool comprises four domains. These are (1) the assessment of risk-of-bias using the Cochrane Tool, (2) the studies' credibility including the CONSORT statement and its extension on homeopathy, (3) the study interventions' coherence with homeopathic textbooks and previous research, and (4) the studies' clinical relevance. Each domain is assessed using a point system, which is then added up to an overall score. The instrument was evaluated as useful and "easy to apply" by the raters. The interrater reliability was 0.81 (95% CI 0.75-0.88) for five raters, and 0.64 (95% CI 0.49-0.79) for additional three raters in round 2, signifying good to moderate interrater reliability.

Conclusion: We have developed an applicable and reliable assessment tool for homeopathic intervention studies. Using it in systematic reviews and meta-analyses will increase their scientific value.