Homeopathy最新文献

Objective:  Arsenicum album 30C (AA30) was recommended by the Government of India for the prevention of coronavirus infection. In the wake of the reporting of COVID-19 vaccine-related adverse events (AEs) and consequent vaccine hesitancy, this study was undertaken to assess the impact of homeo-prophylactic AA30 on COVID-19 vaccine-related AEs.

Methods:  This was a combined retrospective-prospective cohort study that included participants who had been enrolled in an ongoing prospective, parallel cohort study being conducted in urban slums of New Delhi and who had received either or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The reporting of COVID-19 vaccine-related AEs was compared between a cohort that had been receiving homeopathic AA30 as a prophylactic for influenza-like/COVID-like illness with one in which no homeopathic intervention was provided.

Results:  A total of 1,737 participants who received either or both doses of vaccination for COVID-19 were included in the study, out of whom 436 participants were from the medicine cohort (MC) and 1,301 were from the control cohort (CC). Overall odds of developing AEs after either dose of COVID-19 vaccine in MC as compared with CC was found to be statistically significantly lower (overall crude OR = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23 to 0.37; p = 0.0001). The adjusted OR after accounting for age, sex, co-morbidities and vaccine type was 0.30 (95% CI = 0.24 to 0.39; p = 0.0001). The protective effect of the medicine against post-vaccination AEs was evident after the first dose as well as after the second dose, with overall crude OR being 0.37 (95% CI = 0.29 to 0.48; p = 0.0001) and 0.28 (95% CI = 0.19 to 0.41; p = 0.0001) respectively.

Conclusion:  Prior use of the homeopathic medicine AA30 was able to significantly reduce COVID-19 vaccine-related AEs.

Background:  A rising incidence of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in India has escalated the rate of lower limb amputations in the country. The present study aims to evaluate the potential healing properties of homeopathic medicines as a part of the integrative management of DFUs through two evidence-based case reports.

Methods:  Two patients with DFUs, identified as Wagner grade 2, having had diabetes for 12 years, were treated with individualized homeopathic medicine within a multi-disciplinary approach. Both cases were on oral hypoglycemic agents for managing blood sugar, continued their diabetic medication, and were advised to use regular wound dressings. The DFUs were assessed using the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) score at baseline and every 4 weeks until complete wound healing. Neuropathic changes were evaluated by the 10g monofilament tactile test, and the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy-Causal Attribution Inventory (MONARCH) tool was used to assess the likelihood of there being a causal relationship between clinical improvement and the homeopathic intervention.

Results:  The DFUs showed healing within 12 weeks, with a significant improvement in the PUSH score, though there was no change in tactile sensation as assessed by the monofilament test. The MONARCH tool yielded +9 in both cases, indicating the likelihood of a causal relationship between the clinical outcome and homeopathic intervention. The homeopathic medicines Arsenicum album and Lachesis respectively were found useful by each patient.

Conclusion:  Homeopathy appeared beneficial in facilitating the early healing of DFUs within a multi-disciplinary integrative approach.

Background:  Even though several initiatives have been undertaken in different locations worldwide to collect clinical data in homeopathy, it is important to further investigate these aspects in the context of health care in India.

Objective:  The study aimed to gather and analyze patients' clinical data and to derive insights into homeopathic treatment using an internet-based software program for data storage, retrieval and repertorization.

Methods:  A multi-center observational study was conducted across 14 homeopathy outpatient clinics in India that are affiliated with the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). Patient symptoms and demographic details were documented anonymously, and prescriptions were guided by repertorial suggestions from the Vithoulkas Compass software. During follow-up visits, treatment outcome was also recorded using an online assessment form. A retrospective analysis of data on patients' demographics, follow-up visits, morbidity (International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision), rubrics used, prescribed medicines and the level of improvement was achieved using Microsoft Excel-generated pivot tables.

Results:  Throughout the study duration of one year a total of 2,811 patients attended the 14 outpatient clinics, of whom 2,468 were new patients with a total of 2,172 initial homeopathic prescription entries. Across the study, there were 3,491 prescriptions and 1,628 follow-up consultations for 868 follow-up patients, all of which data were thoroughly analyzed. The highest frequency of patients was in the 20-49 age group, and a higher proportion of the patients overall was female. Musculoskeletal, dermatological and respiratory complaints were the most frequently reported. The rubrics "Desire for sweets" and "Desire for spices" emerged as the most commonly used in the repertorizations. Further, Sulphur stood out as the most commonly prescribed medicine overall. With homeopathic treatment, some degree of clinical improvement was reported in 86% of the follow-up cases.

Conclusion:  Homeopathy is prescribed in CCRH outpatient clinics for a wide range of ailments in people across India, with at least some clinical improvement noted in a high proportion of those patients. The large-scale systematic data collection in these clinics has provided clear insights into the use and clinical value of homeopathy in India, with the potential to build a substantive nationwide data inventory over time.

Background:  Previously we developed a test system which yielded highly significant evidence for specific effects of a Stannum metallicum 30x preparation in a multi-center replication trial. This test system is based on cress seed germination in homeopathic or control samples, CuCl₂ crystallization of the cress extract, and subsequent digital textural image analysis of the resulting crystallization patterns.

Objectives:  The current study aimed to investigate whether three novel outcome parameters could further corroborate and possibly characterize the specific effects of Stannum metallicum 30x.

Methods:  To this end, (1) cress seedling length, (2) a second texture analysis parameter, entropy and (3) the local connected fractal dimension (LCFD) of crystallization patterns as a measure of complexity were considered. The stability of the experimental setup was monitored throughout the entire investigation with systematic negative control (SNC) experiments.

Results:  Cress length and entropy revealed a time-modulated potency treatment effect, in the absence of a significant main treatment effect. This indicated that the effect of the potency treatment varied significantly across the different experimental days. LCFD yielded a highly significant potency treatment effect. In addition, a significant interaction of treatment with experimental day seems to indicate a modulation of this effect. No significant effects were observed in any of the evaluations of the SNC experiments, indicative of a stable experimental setup and a reliable and specific treatment effect. Neither significant nor strong correlations were found between the four parameters, indicating that they reflect different effects of Stannum metallicum 30x on the organism treated.

Conclusion:  This quadruple characterization of the biological effects of Stannum metallicum 30x provides an unprecedented opportunity for basic homeopathy research into, among others, the presumed specificity of homeopathic preparations.

Quality of life is a fundamental aspect of good health and differs from person to person, highlighting the importance of individualisation, which is one of the principles of homeopathic doctrine. Homeopathy aligns with the principles of the Brazilian public health system, reflecting the latter's ethos of universality, accessibility, care coordination, and comprehensiveness, offering a whole-person approach to health care. Homeopathy's individualised approach and expanded view of the health-disease process, with emphasis on healthy lifestyle guidance, contributes to the promotion of individual good health and quality of life. These attributes of homeopathy make it a valuable therapeutic option, with relevance to the health service of Brazil as well as to that of other countries across the world.

Background:  Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, was declared a pandemic in March 2020, posing significant challenges globally. Homeopathy has historical relevance in epidemic management. In response, the government of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, distributed Camphora 1M as a potential prophylactic intervention for COVID-19.

Objective:  This study aimed to investigate the possible effects of Camphora 1M as an adjunctive prophylactic measure in managing COVID-19, focusing on mortality and hospitalization rates, during the period April 28 to July 31, 2020, within designated COVID-19 in-patient units in Santa Catarina.

Methods:  An ecological study design was applied to this epidemiological research. Five case municipalities (Itajaí, Atalanta, Entre Rios, Rio do Campo, Trombudo Central) were compared with five control municipalities (São José, Galvão, Pedras Grandes, Grão-Pará, Ascurra).

Results:  No statistically significant differences were observed in predictor variables between municipalities that received Camphora 1M and the respective controls. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were observed in outcomes: deaths (p = 0.879), hospitalized cases (p = 0.537), daily ward admissions (p = 0.730) and ICU admissions (p = 0.072).

Conclusion:  For the first wave of the pandemic in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, city-wide distribution of Camphora 1M was not associated with reduced numbers, severity or mortality among the population hospitalized in designated public hospitals for COVID-19.

Background:  Patterns in dried droplets have previously facilitated the characterization of homeopathic preparations of different substances at low potency levels. The objective of the present study was to examine combinations of plant extracts and salts in 2x and 3x potency (nominal dilution of 10^-2 and 10^-3) and to determine which influence the plant and salt components have on the patterns of these mixtures.

Methods:  We used the droplet evaporation method (DEM) to test seven plant extracts, five salt solutions and their 1:1 combinations, either in 2x or 3x potency levels. Drops of each sample were evaporated and the resulting patterns were photographed with a dark-field microscope at 25-fold and 100-fold magnification. The images were analyzed mainly visually for their characteristics; a supporting quantitative analysis was performed by means of the computer program ImageJ for several textural features.

Results:  Patterns of 2x potencies showed more and richer structures than those of 3x potencies. At both tested potency levels, patterns of plant-salt potency combinations exhibited structures that were different from those of single potencies.

Conclusion:  Combining homeopathic potencies led to the emergence of novel patterns differing from those formed by the single components. There were noticeable differences in the extent to which specific salts appeared to retain their characteristic patterns in relation to the plant potency with which they were combined. This pilot study has identified promising potential for the further investigation of homeopathic preparations in low dilution ranges by means of DEM, with the aim to understand better the diverse pattern-forming processes that take place in combined compared with single potency droplets. Such endeavor would help to address the current lack of fundamental research on potency combinations.

Background:  "Pain, Knee, Motion, Amelioration" in the Extremities chapter of Kent's repertory with 20 enlisted medicines is one of the most frequently encountered rubrics in homeopathy but has not been evaluated systematically. Bayesian statistics resulting in the likelihood ratio (LR) could offer a better evaluation of the enlisted medicines as well as the eligibility of other medicines.

Methods:  An analytical, epidemiological, longitudinal outcome study was conducted in different outpatient departments of D.N. De Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, on 1,204 patients over 18 months using ORIDL (Outcome Related to Impact on Daily Living), whose scale ranges from +4 to -4. Results were documented during each follow-up, continuing until the most recent visit at an average of 3 months. The LRs were reported with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:  Analysis included 1,204 cases with 20 enlisted medicines and 37 not enlisted homeopathic medicines. The prevalence of the rubric "Pain, Knee, Motion, Amelioration" was 18.8%. Among the enlisted ones, the medicines having LR ≥ 1.5 were Calcarea carbonicum LR(+) 1.7 (95% CI: 0.8 to 3.5) and Rhus toxicodendron LR(+) 2.3 (95% CI: 1.7 to 3.1). Some medicines with LR ≥ 1.5 that were not previously enlisted in the rubric were Arnica montana LR(+) 2.0 (95% CI: 0.9 to 4.3), Carbo vegetabilis LR(+) 1.8 (95% CI: 0.8 to 4.0), and Staphysagria macrosperma LR(+) 1.5 (95% CI: 0.5 to 5.0). Overall, the findings corroborated the medicines' listing under the rubric in Kent's repertory.

Conclusion:  There was substantial evidence to link some of the enlisted medicines with the said rubric. Additional research involving a larger population is needed to address the potential confirmation bias.