Complementary and alternative medicine in diabetes (CALMIND) – a prospective study
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Aaron C. Tan
Abstract
Background: This study aims to further elucidate the demographic and diabetes characteristics of diabetic patients in Australia who use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM).
Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 149 patients with diabetes attending a general endocrine clinic in a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia.
Results: Thirty-seven patients (25%) stated they had used CAM therapies within the past 5 years. Vitamins (53%) were the most common CAM therapy used. A greater number of CAM nonusers reported calf pain whilst walking (21% vs. 9%, p=0.051), and HbA1c values were lower for CAM nonusers (7.7% vs. 8.1%, p=0.057). Amongst CAM users, a majority of patients (85%) did not consult with their specialist or general practitioner prior to starting CAM therapy.
Conclusions: With the increasing burden of diabetes, health practitioners will need to be more vigilant and understanding of the potential impact of CAM use on diabetes management.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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©2015 by De Gruyter
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- Review
- An emphasis on molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects and glucocorticoid resistance
- Preclinical Studies
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- Evidence of attenuation of intestinal ischemia–reperfusion injury following pre-treatment with methanolic extracts from Chromolena odorata in rats
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- Integrating traditional medical practice with primary healthcare system in Eritrea
- Factors affecting the use of complementary and alternative medicine among Japanese university students
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- Complementary and alternative medicine in diabetes (CALMIND) – a prospective study
- Online Only: Congress Abstracts
- 2014 IN-CAM Research Symposium: The Next Wave of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Health Care Research
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- An emphasis on molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects and glucocorticoid resistance
- Preclinical Studies
- Endothelium nitric oxide-independent vasorelaxant effects of the aqueous extract from Stephania abyssinica on the isolated rat thoracic aorta
- Evidence of attenuation of intestinal ischemia–reperfusion injury following pre-treatment with methanolic extracts from Chromolena odorata in rats
- Comparative effects of Orchis anatolica vs. the red Korean Panax ginseng treatments on testicular structure and function of adult male mice
- The Miaoyao Fanggan Sachets regulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity in mice
- Toxicological evaluation of the aqueous extract of Acalypha wilkesiana in Wistar albino rats
- Clinical Studies
- Tolerability of the combination of ginger (Zingiber officinalis), gentian (Gentiana lutea) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in patients with cancer-associated anorexia
- Effect of rhubarb (Rheum emodi) in primary dysmenorrhoea: a single-blind randomized controlled trial
- Integrating traditional medical practice with primary healthcare system in Eritrea
- Factors affecting the use of complementary and alternative medicine among Japanese university students
- Short Communication
- Complementary and alternative medicine in diabetes (CALMIND) – a prospective study
- Online Only: Congress Abstracts
- 2014 IN-CAM Research Symposium: The Next Wave of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Health Care Research
