Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine最新文献

Hepatitis is a global health problem, with significant adverse impacts on patients' quality of life. In this study, we aimed to review major resources of Iranian traditional medicine and determine whether the etiology and semiology of hepatitis, in particular chronic hepatitis, in traditional and conventional medicine might be aligned. Through such studies, we might be able to develop new approaches for clinical research to improve our current knowledge on the etiology and treatment of this condition. In this qualitative study, recently published studies, scientific databases, and reliable Iranian traditional medicine resources, including the Canon of Medicine, were searched. The integrative use of conventional and traditional medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes could be evaluated to develop new modalities for dealing with this condition. An integrated approach is recommended in clinical research in order to find more efficient and safer treatment.

Cancer is acknowledged as a source of stress for many individuals, often leading to suffering, which can be long-lasting. Mindfulness-based stress reduction offers an effective way of reducing stress among cancer patients by combining mindfulness meditation and yoga in an 8-week training program. The purpose of this study was to inspect studies from October 2009 to November 2015 and examine whether mindfulness-based stress reduction can be utilized as a viable method for managing stress among cancer patients. A systematic search from Medline, CINAHL, and Alt HealthWatch databases was conducted for quantitative articles involving mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions targeting cancer patients. A total of 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these 13 studies, 9 demonstrated positive changes in either psychological or physiological outcomes related to anxiety and/or stress, with 4 describing mixed results. Despite the limitations, mindfulness-based stress reduction appears to be promising for stress management among cancer patients.

In this pilot study, a convenience sample of 24 chronic pain patients (17 with chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia) were randomized into WHEE treatment and wait-list control groups for 6 weeks. Assessments of depression, anxiety, and pain were completed before, during, and at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Wait-listed patients then received an identical course of WHEE and assessments. WHEE decreased anxiety ( P < .5) and depression ( P < .05) compared with the control group. The wait-list-turned-WHEE assessments demonstrated decreased pain severity ( P < .05) and depression ( P < .04) but not pain interference or anxiety. WHEE appears a promising method for pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic pain, compared to standard medical care alone. Though a small pilot study, the present results suggest that further research appears warranted. An incidental finding was that a majority of patients with chronic pain had suffered psychological trauma in childhood and/or adulthood.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one the most aggressive and lethal human neoplasms with poor prognosis and very limited positive treatment options. The antitumor effect of supercritical CO₂ extract of mango ginger ( Curcuma amada Roxb) (CA) with and without irinotecan (IR) was analyzed in U-87MG human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells in vitro and in nude mice xenografts. CA is highly cytotoxic to GBM cells and is synergistic with IR as indicated by the combination index values of <1 in the CompuSyn analysis. CA inhibits tumor growth rate in GBM xenografts, the inhibition rate being higher than in IR treated group. GBM xenograft mice treated with IR + CA combination showed almost complete inhibition of tumor growth rate. Gene expression analysis of xenograft tumors indicated that IR + CA treatment significantly downregulated anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2 and mutant p53), inflammation-associated (COX-2) and cell division-associated (CCNB2) genes and upregulated pro-apoptotic genes (p21 and caspase-3). These results confirmed the therapeutic efficiency of IR + CA combination against GBM and the need for further clinical investigations.

The color of urine is an important factor in urine examination, which can help physicians differentiate various diseases. Today, it is known that certain dyes, drug intoxications, and diseases can induce green urine discoloration. In the view of traditional Persian medicine, which is based on humoral medicine, green urine discoloration is generally referred to the dominance of coldness in the body. In fact, it is considered to be a result of a special kind of humoral imbalance and fluid depletion or retention in the human body. Persian scholars believed that green urine could be an indicator of intoxication or a predictor of an imminent spasm or convulsion in pediatric patients. Further investigations could result in finding new diagnostic scales of urine color based on the teachings of traditional Persian medicine.

Indian patients' preference for integrated homoeopathy services remains underresearched. Two earlier surveys revealed favorable attitude toward and satisfaction from integrated services. The objectives of this study were to examine knowledge, attitudes, and practice of homoeopathy and to evaluate preference toward its integration into secondary-level health care. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during May to October 2015 among 659 adult patients visiting randomly selected secondary-level conventional health care setups in Kolkata, Mumbai, Kottayam, and New Delhi (India) using a self-administered 24-item questionnaire in 4 local vernaculars (Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, and Hindi). Knowledge and practice scores were compromised; attitude scores toward integration and legal regulation were high. Respondents were uncertain regarding side effects of homoeopathy and concurrent use and interactions with conventional medicines. A total of 82.40% (95% confidence interval = 79.23, 85.19) of the participants were in favor of integrating homoeopathy services. Preference was significantly higher in Delhi and lower in Kottayam. Probable strategic measures for further development of integrated models are discussed.

Older Indian diabetics lack proper health literacy making them vulnerable to complications. Assessment of health literacy was done by hospital-based cross-sectional study. Face-to-face interview was conducted by pretested structured questionnaires. Diabetes patients aged ≥60 years consisted of 56.22% males and 43.78% females; in addition, 34.2% respondents were without formal schooling. Diabetes was known to 63.56% respondents. Total knowledge and practice score of the respondents was good (18.9% and 35.1%), average (30.7% and 46.9%), and poor (50.4% and 18%), respectively. Knowledge and practice score was strongly associated ( P < .01) with religion, educational status, and diabetes duration with positive relationship ( R² = 0.247, P < .01) between knowledge and practice score. The study highlights lack of health literacy among older diabetics undergoing ayurveda management. Baseline statistics will pave the way toward ayurpharmacoepidemiology.

We conducted a representative survey among young women to determine knowledge, use, and perceptions on barriers, benefits, and risks related to selected herbal drugs ( Crocus sativus, Borago officinalis, Citrus aurantium, Thymus vulgaris, Matricaria chamomilla, Lavandula angustifolia, Valeriana officinalis, Hypericum perforatum, and Panax ginseng) in Gorgan by using an internally validated questionnaire. There were 344 participants (mean age 16.3 years; 16.2% in science course). Saffron had most reported knowledge (n = 265, 77.0%) and ever use (n = 324, 94.1%). The average number of source of knowledge was 2.5; parents (n = 224, 65.1%) were the single most frequent source. Media (combined magazine, the Internet, TV, radio) was the source of knowledge for 283 (82.2%) participants. Actual use was "harmful" for the majority (n = 182, 52.9%; no idea n = 83, 24.1%). Parents and media provided knowledge on herbal drugs for most, supporting unsurprisingly high perceived knowledge but harmful actual experience. Programs to educate people are needed to not take herbal drugs lightly.

Research on wound healing agents is a developing area in biomedical sciences. Traditional Persian medicine is one of holistic systems of medicine providing valuable information on natural remedies. To collect the evidences for wound-healing medicaments from traditional Persian medicine sources, 5 main pharmaceutical manuscripts in addition to related contemporary reports from Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were studied. The underlying mechanisms were also saved and discussed. Totally, 65 herbs used in traditional Persian medicine for their wound healing properties was identified. Related anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and wound-healing activities of those remedies were studied. Forty remedies had at least one of those properties and 10 of the filtered plants possessed all effects. The medicinal plants used in wound healing treatment in traditional Persian medicine could be a good topic for further in vivo and clinical research. This might lead to development of effective products for wound treatment.

Background: A randomized, pilot, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of a cream based on Bach flower remedies (BFR) on symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Methods: Forty-three patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome during their "waiting" time for surgical option were randomized into 3 parallel groups: Placebo (n = 14), blinded BFR (n = 16), and nonblinded BFR (n = 13). These groups were treated during 21 days with topical placebo or a cream based on BFR.

Results: Significant improvements were observed on self-reported symptom severity and pain intensity favorable to BFR groups with large effect sizes (η²_partial > 0.40). In addition, all signs observed during the clinical exam showed significant improvements among the groups as well as symptoms of pain, night pain, and tingling, also with large effect sizes (φ > 0.5). Finally, there were significant differences between the blinded and nonblinded BFR groups for signs and pain registered in clinical exam but not in self-reports.

Conclusion: The proposed BFR cream could be an effective intervention in the management of mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome, reducing the severity symptoms and providing pain relief.