Self-reported health characteristics and medication consumption by CAM users and nonusers: a Swiss cross-sectional...

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is very popular in Switzerland. The objective of this work was to find out whether the use of CAM therapies is associated with distinct health characteristics and altered consumption of conventional medications.

Self-reported data from the 2007 Swiss Health Survey were analyzed. Two groups of participants were defined and compared with each other: CAM users (those who had used CAM during the last 12 months, n=3333) and nonusers (those who stated they had not used CAM during the last 12 months, n=9821).

Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of CAM use and to address relevance and magnitude of the differences in medication consumption between CAM users and nonusers.

Comparatively lower body-mass index (BMI) values and migraine, arthritis, allergies, and depression were associated with increased probability of CAM use. Multivariate logistic regression models that adjusted for the effects of relevant demographic factors, BMI, and perceived health status showed that CAM users consumed fewer medications for cardiovascular diseases--high blood pressure and high cholesterol (and, by trend, heart problems and diabetes)--than nonusers. On the other hand, their consumption of analgesics and medications for depression and for constipation (and, by trend, sedatives and soporifics), was higher than that of nonusers.

Migraine, arthritis, depression, and constipation might lead patients to use CAM therapies and, in addition, to consume more of some conventional medications. Given the long intake period and considerable adverse effects of medications, the lower consumption of these agents for chronic cardiovascular problems by CAM users might be beneficial and deserves further investigations.