Integrative Medicine Alert – June 1, 2021
June 1, 2021
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The Safety and Efficacy of Common Herbal and Dietary Supplements in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Part 1
With an increasing number of diabetes cases, clinicians also are encountering more patients who are turning to complementary and alternative medicine to help control their glucose levels. In a 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacist Roles, 35% of 26,157 respondents in the study reported the use of at least one herbal medicine. In all, 3,050 respondents had diabetes, and 41.2% of the respondents reported the use of a dietary supplement.3 The data revealed that respondents with diabetes were associated with higher herbal medicine use when compared to respondents without chronic diseases (41% vs. 34%, P < 0.001). The results also showed that herbal medicine use increased as age increased among the respondents.
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Does Combined Obesity and Depression Treatment Result in Better Quality of Life and Psychosocial Functioning?
This study tracked measures of quality of life and psychosocial functioning in patients participating in a randomized clinical trial with the goal of reducing symptoms of obesity and depression. The authors found that both quality of life and psychosocial functioning significantly increased at six months compared to patients with “care as usual,” but not at 12 months.