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Complementary and alternative medicine use in asthma: who is using what?
Cassandra A Slader1, Helen K Reddel, Christine R Jenkins
1Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. cassandra@pharm.usyd.edu
Respirology (Carlton, Vic.)
|June 15, 2006
Summary
Many asthma patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including breathing techniques and herbal products. Healthcare providers should discuss CAM use to optimize asthma management, as effectiveness evidence is limited.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Integrative Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Consumer interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has significantly increased.
- Patients often do not disclose CAM use to healthcare practitioners unless prompted.
- Understanding CAM prevalence in asthma is crucial for effective patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on CAM use among asthma patients.
- To assess the applicability of existing studies to the general asthma population.
- To inform healthcare providers about CAM modalities and user characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature searches of Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and AMED databases.
- Inclusion of studies examining CAM use in individuals with asthma.
- Manual search of bibliographies for additional relevant papers.
Main Results:
- Seventeen studies on CAM use in asthma were identified.
- Reported CAM use ranged from 4% to 79% in adults and 33% to 89% in children.
- Commonly used CAMs include breathing techniques, herbal products, homeopathy, and acupuncture.
Conclusions:
- There is a high prevalence of CAM use in asthma patients.
- Evidence supporting the effectiveness of commonly used CAMs for asthma is lacking.
- Healthcare providers should consider CAM use in asthma management discussions.
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