Herbal Medicine News and Research

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Refugees: A Systematic Review.

J Immigr Minor Health. 2010 Mar 12;

Authors: Macduff S, Grodin MA, Gardiner P

Little is known about the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among refugees, despite the common practice of CAM in many non-Western countries. We performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature using nine electronic databases. We included articles pertaining to refugees and CAM (whole medical systems, mind body medicine, herbal remedies, manipulative therapies, energy medicine). Qualitative and quantitative data were compiled and analyzed through descriptive statistics and chi square distribution tables. We reviewed 237 abstracts, and 47 publications met our inclusion criteria. Twenty-six papers documented whole medical systems; 11 mind-body medicine; 5 biologically based practices; 4 manipulative and body-based therapies; and 1 study documented the use of energy medicine. There were 3 clinical trials, 20 surveys, 12 case reports, 2 participant-observer qualitative papers, and 10 review papers. Most studies focused on Asian refugee populations (66%; n = 31). Mental problems related to trauma accounted for 36% of CAM use (17). Among included articles, methodological quality was extremely low. Our results show evidence that type of CAM used by refugees may vary based on ethnicity, yet this is most likely due to a bias in the medical literature. Efforts are needed to further explore these results and expand research within this field.

PMID: 20224938 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Mortality and cancer incidence among physicians of traditional Chinese medicine: a 20-year national follow-up study.

Occup Environ Med. 2010 Mar;67(3):166-9

Authors: Liu SH, Liu YF, Liou SH, Lin YL, Hsiao YC, Chen CC, Li CY, Wu TN

Objective To study the risks of mortality and cancer incidence in physicians of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) who had frequent exposure to herbal medicine. Methods A population-based cohort design was conducted in which a total of 7675 certified physicians of TCM who ever practised between 1985 and 2005 were compared with the age-, sex- and calendar year-specific mortalities and cancer incidence rates of the general population of Taiwan. The age-, sex- and calendar year-standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and standardised cancer incidence ratio (SIR) were calculated to estimate the relative risks of all causes and site-specific mortality and cancer incidence. Results Over an up to 20-year observational period, 796 (10.4%) physicians of TCM died, and 279 (3.6%) developed cancer. The study cohort showed a significantly reduced SMR for all-causes mortality (68, 95% CI 63 to 73), and for deaths from infectious (SMR=64), circulatory (SMR=68), respiratory (SMR=64) and digestive (SMR=56) disease. The study cohort also had a significantly reduced SIR (80, 95% CI 71 to 90) for all cancers, and for neoplasm of rectum, rectosigmoid junction, and anus (SIR=45), female breast (SIR=30) and cervix uteri (SIR=10). On the other hand, we noted that physicians of TCM suffered from a significantly increased SIR for neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (SIR=151, 95% CI 116 to 192) and of bladder cancer (SIR=259, 95% CI 167 to 382). Conclusion Like other healthcare workers, we noted that physicians of TCM had significantly reduced risks of all-causes mortality and cancer incidence. Nonetheless, reasons truly responsible for significantly increased risks of liver and bladder neoplasm among physicians of TCM warrant further investigations.

PMID: 20223844 [PubMed - in process]

[Multi-target therapeutics and new drug discovery]

Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2009 Mar;44(3):226-30

Authors: Xu Y, Li XJ

Drugs acting on individual molecular targets usually exert unsatisfying therapeutic effects or have severe toxicity when used in diseases of complicated causes such as tumor, diabetes and inflammation. Multitarget therapeutics which regulates multiple nodes of the disease network simultaneously shows synergistic effect, is unlikely to induce resistance and provides optimal clinical use. This review summarized the characteristics, classification, development strategies and screening models, current multi-target therapeutic drugs used in clinic and also explored the potential of TCM in multi-target therapeutics.

PMID: 19449518 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Microscopic identification study of western herbs. Part I: Three Echinacea-species roots]

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2009 Nov;34(21):2718-20

Authors: Li Q, Chu C, Tan Z, Wang Y, Wei J, Li P, Zhao Z

OBJECTIVE: To make microscopic identification research of three Echinacea-species roots recorded in the United States Pharmacopeia. METHOD: The root transverse section and powder of E. angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. purpurea were observed. The main microscopic features were photographed. RESULT: The main microscopic features of transverse section and powder in three Echinacea-species roots are basically similar, except for some diagnostic differences. The results provide reliable reference for the authentication of raw materials of western herbal studies.

PMID: 20209899 [PubMed - in process]