Complementary Medicine Research最新文献

Introduction: Many patients with breast cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including mistletoe preparations (Viscum album extracts, VAE). CAM alone has been associated with poor outcomes. Few, if any, confirmed breast cancer remissions have been reported with CAM treatment alone.

Case presentations: Case 1: 60-year-old female with a histologically confirmed local recurrence of hormone receptor positive (HR+) Her2/neu negative (HER2-) breast cancer 3 years after the initial diagnosis and treatment. The patient declined conventional therapies and was treated with intratumoral VAE plus intratumoral influenza vaccine (IV) and concurrent VAE-induced hyperthermia. Lumpectomy 5 months later confirmed a near pathological complete remission (near pCR). Follow-up at 3 years confirms durable remission. Case 2: 57-year-old female with histologically confirmed HR+, HER2- right sided breast cancer with 2-[18F]FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT) positive metastatic disease who declined conventional treatment. The patient was treated with 17 monthly cycles of VAE-induced hyperthermia, eight of which included intratumoral VAE, four of these eight including intratumoral IV. Almost 2 years after treatment start, a follow-up 2-[18F]FDG-PET/CT showed marked morphological and metabolic reduction of breast tumor on the right side, stable local lymph node metastases in the right axilla, complete remission of pulmonary metastases, the single bone metastasis, and the majority of hilomediastinal lymph node metastases but a new metabolic highly active left adrenal lesion.

Conclusions: Clinical studies of intratumoral VAE-influenza vaccine with concurrent VAE-induced hyperthermia in ER positive HER2/neu negative breast cancer are warranted.

Background: Pain, both acute and chronic, places a substantial burden on global healthcare systems. While conventional treatments may be limited in efficacy due to side effects, risk of dependency, or variable individual response, there is growing interest in mind-body complementary approaches. Yoga nidra (YGN) has emerged as a promising noninvasive intervention for pain management. However, a clear understanding of its efficacy remains limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of YGN on pain outcomes.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across seven databases and one trial database. Eligible studies included quantitative designs assessing the effects of YGN on pain. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and the modified Downs and Black checklist for non-randomized studies. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate pooled effect sizes.

Results: Twelve studies, comprising 1,176 participants, were included. Between-group analyses revealed that YGN significantly reduced pain compared to passive comparators (Hedge's g: -2.05, p = 0.01), while comparisons with active comparators (g: -0.31, p = 0.53) showed no statistically significant differences. Within-group analyses indicated significant pain reduction following YGN (g: -2.01, p < 0.001). Subgroup comparisons of single versus multiple training sessions, as well as meta-regression analyses, revealed no significant dose-response relationship across intervention durations.

Conclusion: YGN shows potential in reducing pain intensity compared to passive control conditions, with notable within-group improvements following intervention. However, given the low methodological quality across the included studies, these effects should be interpreted cautiously, as the observed effects may represent inflated estimates. Despite these limitations, YGN demonstrates potential as a complementary approach for pain management, underscoring the need for high-quality, standardized research to establish its efficacy as a viable clinical intervention.

Background: The Mediterranean lifestyle is widely recognized for its role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The PREVESMED questionnaire was developed to evaluate adherence to this lifestyle, integrating dietary and non-dietary behaviors. Unlike existing tools, PREVESMED incorporates underexplored elements such as eating pace, herbal tea consumption, and physical activity, providing a multidimensional approach to lifestyle assessment.

Methods: The validation of PREVESMED was carried out as part of a planned interim analysis using data collected from participants in the PREVES-ENERGY survey, a cross-sectional study targeting 1,000 adults aged 18 years and above. To assess the reliability of the PREVESMED scale, internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, ensuring an acceptable level of reliability. To investigate the relationships between lifestyle factors, individual questionnaire items, and adherence to Mediterranean lifestyle according to the PREVESMED scale, a correlation analysis was performed. Additionally, to identify significant predictors of better adherence, a multivariable linear regression model was utilized, highlighting key factors influencing adherence. Finally, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to reveal the underlying structure of the PREVESMED scale, identifying key dimensions and their contributions to the total variance.

Results: The cohort analyzed for the preliminary validation of the PREVESMED questionnaire consisted of 268 participants, in line with the protocol's planned sample size. Internal consistency analysis demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.628). In the correlation analysis, the strongest associations with the total PREVESMED score emerged for physical activity, extra virgin olive oil use, and fruit/vegetable consumption, whereas daily alcohol intake showed the weakest correlation. The multivariable linear regression highlighted higher education, lower BMI, nonsmoking status, higher WHO-5 scores, and older age as significant predictors of better adherence. Exploratory factor analysis identified five factors explaining 59.32% of the total variance.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the PREVESMED questionnaire is a promising, multidimensional tool for evaluating adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle, demonstrating acceptable reliability and significant associations with key health indicators. Further refinement and extended validation - encompassing test-retest reliability, weighted scoring, and biomarker correlations - will strengthen its applicability across diverse populations.

Introduction: The role of acupuncture in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been previously investigated; however, it is unclear whether manual acupuncture is effective for treating GERD. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of manual acupuncture in treating GERD.

Methods: Potentially eligible studies were identified from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Registry for Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (Sinomed). Sensitivity analysis was conducted through excluding low-quality studies. Subgroup analysis was performed according to different proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and treatment duration. Certainty of evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework.

Results: Based on 504 records, 12 relevant studies were included in our meta-analysis. Trial sequential analysis confirmed that manual acupuncture improved symptom scores (mean difference [MD] = -3.43, 95% CI = -5.14 to -1.73, I2 = 88%, p < 0.001, very low evidence) and reduced recurrence rates (risk ratio [RR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = 0.16 to 0.64, I2 = 0%, p = 0.001, very low evidence). Although meta-analysis showed no difference in adverse events between manual acupuncture and PPIs (RR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.09 to 1.58, I2 = 0%, p = 0.18, very low evidence), TSA revealed extremely insufficient statistical power. Furthermore, the global symptom improvement rate was lower with acupuncture compared to PPIs (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.14 to 1.30, I2 = 18%, p < 0.001, low evidence). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of the results. Subgroup analysis suggested the therapeutic effects of manual acupuncture alone irrespective of categories of PPIs and treatment duration.

Conclusion: Manual acupuncture has the potential to alleviate the severity of symptoms and decrease the recurrence rate in patients with GERD. However, considering the efficacy of PPI therapy in significantly improving overall symptoms, along with its established safety profile and extensive clinical utilization over the years, we do not recommend manual acupuncture alone as the primary treatment for patients with GERD.

Introduction: Aromatherapy has not accrued enough evidence to be integrated into standardized clinical medicine. If high-quality evidence supports the effects of aromatherapy, it will be handled as a parallel option to standardized medical treatment. The aromatherapeutic impact of peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) essential oil has been researched to a certain extent, such as on pain, anxiety, fatigue, or depression. Considering the rising expenditure on dementia care, the potential effects of peppermint scents on cognition have become increasingly significant. Therefore, we performed a scoping review of the studies on the impact of peppermint scents on cognition and attention.

Methods: We focused on human research, and the effects of peppermint scents were required to be inhaled. According to the inclusion criteria, searching from PubMed, Scopus, and Gale Academic OneFile, we identified a total of 115 studies. Finally, eight references were selected for review. The risk of bias was analyzed according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria.

Results: Each reviewed reference had its own strength in investigating the effects of peppermint scents. However, as most studies have noted, the impact of peppermint scent should be assessed from multiple perspectives, including psychological, physiological, neurological, and pharmacological factors. The risk of bias was not found to be severe (high risk of bias rate: 35.7 ± 3.4%); our critical review elucidated the heterogeneity of the reviewed studies.

Conclusion: In summary, drawing a definitive conclusion at this stage is premature. Therefore, more carefully designed studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Background: The escalating prevalence and severity of obesity and its associated comorbidities globally necessitate effective interventions. This randomized open-label clinical study aims to assess the efficacy of amla (Emblica officinalis) extract AMX-160 in adult individuals with obesity.

Trial design: This study is a randomized, open-label clinical study conducted at Rajalakshmi Hospital, Mangalore. The study adhered to the declaration of Helsinki and ICH-GCP guidelines, with protocol approval from institutional ethics committee and registration with the Clinical Trials Registry - India (CTRI/2019/01/017201). All participants provided written, signed, and dated informed consent before any study-related procedures.

Methods: Forty obese patients were enrolled and divided into two groups. AMX-160 capsules, at doses of 500 mg once daily (AMX-M1) and twice daily (AMX-M2), were administered. Patients were monitored as outpatients for 90 days. Efficacy assessments included anthropometric measurements, bioelectric impedance analysis, lipid profile analysis, and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) at scheduled visits.

Results: Supplementation with 1 g of AMX-160 (500 mg twice daily) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced visceral fat, increased skeletal muscle mass, and decreased subcutaneous fat. Additionally, it effectively decreased body age and various anthropometric parameters (e.g., waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) significantly (p < 0.05), along with reducing BMI, body weight, and improving lipid profile (p < 0.05). The 500 mg once daily dose also significantly (p < 0.05) impacted most parameters. Physical activity levels remained consistent in both groups throughout the study (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The amla extract AMX-160 (Tri-Low®) demonstrated efficacy in reducing subcutaneous and visceral fat, waist circumference, and body age, while increasing skeletal muscle mass. These findings suggest its potential as a supplement for managing obesity and its associated disorders.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 3 months of seated Tai Chi (TC) practice on the eye-hand coordination and sitting balance control of subjects with Parkinson's disease.

Method: A prospective non-randomized study was conducted with 29 subjects practicing TC and 27 subjects as controls according to their preference. The seated TC group underwent 3 months of training with a total of 24 sessions (1 h/session, 2 sessions/week). The outcome measures included a dynamic finger-pointing task (reaction time, movement time, and accuracy), and a sequential weight-shifting balance control test (completion time) while seated.

Results: The TC group showed faster movement time in the dynamic finger-pointing task (p = 0.003). They also achieved a faster completion time of the sequential weight-shifting balance test (p = 0.021). No significant difference was observed in the control group.

Conclusions: The results demonstrate that 3 months of seated TC training could improve movement time in the finger-pointing task and sitting balance control in subjects with Parkinson's disease. A future randomized controlled trial is warranted.