Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with hematological cancers in Malaysia

Gan, Gin Gin; Leong, Y. C.; Bee, Ping Chong; E, Chin; A, Teh

doi:10.1007/s00520-015-2614-z

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…in Palestine 69.5%, Malaysia 70.2%, and Ethiopia 79% . 15,16 In this survey, women accounted for 62% of patients, similar to research by Ustundang. 17 The internet was the main source of knowledge about herbal preparations for 19.6% of the respondents, while the recommendation of doctor and pharmacist accounted for 14.1%.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Use of the Herbal OTC Products and Dietary Supplements by Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Survey-Based Study

Kowalczyk¹,

Bodalska²,

Boszkiewicz³

et al. 2017

IJPER

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Context: Among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, there is a growing trend to use self-medication. Many of them take preparations sold over the counter (OTC) and dietary supplements containing plant raw materials. Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the herbal OTC drug and dietary supplement usage among patients treated on the chemotherapy ward. Settings and Design: An anonymous survey was conducted among 92 patients of the chemotherapy ward of the Lower Silesian Oncology Center in Wroclaw (Poland) with the approval of the Bioethical Commission of the Medical University in Wroclaw (no KB-562/2014) and The Declaration of Helsinki. Methods and Material: An anonymous survey was conducted among 92 patients of the chemotherapy ward of the Lower Silesian Oncology Center in Wroclaw (Poland) in 2015. The questions concerned the use of herbal preparations by patients during chemotherapy. Statistical analysis used: The statistical analysis was developed using programs: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and STATISTICA 10 (StarSoft Inc.). Analysis was performed by χ2 test. Results: The study has confirmed that the use of herbal OTC products and dietary supplements among cancer patients is a common occurrence. The main source of information about herbal preparations is the Internet and the most common place of purchase is a pharmacy. Conclusions: It is necessary to educate cancer patients to increase their awareness of the importance of a doctor's knowledge about all preparations that they take. Pharmacists play a very important role in self-medication of the patients. Thus, pharmacy students' education is needed in this field as well.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Use of the Herbal OTC Products and Dietary Supplements by Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Survey-Based Study

Kowalczyk¹,

Bodalska²,

Boszkiewicz³

et al. 2017

IJPER

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“…More than two-thirds of the participants who reported using dietary supplement in the present study, had two or more comorbidities. Supplement use was also highest among elderly individuals diagnosed with oncologic disorders, as previously reported [64–66] though scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of supplements in cancer has so far been inconclusive (reviewed in [67]). In the present study, a significant association between supplement use and potential drug-drug interactions was found and this remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity and multiple comorbidities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In the present study, a significant association between supplement use and potential drug-drug interactions was found and this remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity and multiple comorbidities. Thus, the high use of supplements among elderly people is a major concern, particularly given that a majority of patients in our setting have previously reported not to disclose information on their supplement intake to their healthcare practitioners [64, 65]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence, risk factors and health outcomes associated with polypharmacy among urban community-dwelling older adults in multi-ethnic Malaysia

et al. 2017

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BackgroundPolypharmacy has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the older population.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors and health outcomes associated with polypharmacy in a cohort of urban community-dwelling older adults receiving chronic medications in Malaysia.MethodsThis was a baseline study in the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research cohort. The inclusion criteria were individuals aged ≥55years and taking at least one medication chronically (≥3 months). Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during home visits where medications taken were reviewed. Health outcomes assessed were frequency of falls, functional disability, potential inappropriate medication use (PIMs), potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs), healthcare utilisation and quality of life (QoL). Risk factors and health outcomes associated with polypharmacy (≥5 medications including dietary supplements) were determined using multivariate regression models.ResultsA total of 1256 participants were included with a median (interquartile range) age of 69(63–74) years. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 45.9% while supplement users made up 56.9% of the cohort. The risk factors associated with increasing medication use were increasing age, Indian ethnicity, male, having a higher number of comorbidities specifically those diagnosed with cardiovascular, endocrine and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as supplement use. Health outcomes significantly associated with polypharmacy were PIMS, PDDIs and increased healthcare utilisation.ConclusionA significant proportion of older adults on chronic medications were exposed to polypharmacy and use of dietary supplements contributed significantly to this. Medication reviews are warranted to reduce significant polypharmacy related issues in the older population.

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“…After controlling for covariates, we found that CAM use uniquely explained 8.7% and 8.8% of variances in anxiety and depression, respectively, suggesting the potential efficacy of CAM use on emotional status. Some previous studies reported nonsignificant associations between CAM use and anxiety and depression, 28,44 whereas in other studies, CAM treatment was reported to improve anxiety and depression. 50,51 Given the competing views among previous reports, 10,23 the correlation between CAM use and emotional well-being remains unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…CAM use has been higher in female gender, 25,41 younger age, 41,42 higher education level, 18,41–43 higher income, 25,41 palliative care setting, 32 and positive family history of advanced cancer (stage IV and distant metastasis), 18,42,43 although there was a nonsignificant association between CAM use and income. 44 In addition, more information on CAM appears to promote more CAM use. 45 Patients in this study indicated that only 36% consulted with their physicians.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Its Association with Emotional Status and Quality of Life in Patients with a Solid Tumor: A Cross-Sectional Study

Jang

Kang

Kim

2017

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Objectives: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been used widely in various populations for various purposes, including emotional support and improvement of quality of life (QOL). However, CAM use and purposes for using CAM are less clear among Korean patients with a solid tumor. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of CAM use, and the association between CAM use and anxiety, depression, and QOL in patients with a solid tumor.Design: A cross-sectional survey.Setting: A cancer center in Korea.Subjects: Two hundred and sixteen patients diagnosed with a solid tumor.Outcome measures: Standard questionnaires on CAM use, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30.Results: One hundred thirty one patients (60.6%) reported using CAM. CAM users, compared with non-CAM users, were significantly younger (57.8 vs. 60.9 years, p = 0.05), had higher level of education (p = 0.008), had higher income (p = 0.008), were less likely to seek physician consultation on CAM use (p = 0.002), and had a more advanced stage of tumor (p = 0.003) with more distant metastasis (p = 0.001). The most commonly used CAM was herbal medicine (n = 89, 67.9%). CAM users had significantly lower anxiety (t = 5.21, p < 0.001) and depression (t = 4.90, p < 0.001) than non-CAM users. When the effects of CAM use were tested on anxiety, depression, and QOL, controlling for covariates, CAM use was significantly associated with 8.7% and 8.8% of variance in decreasing anxiety and depression, but there was no unique association of CAM use with variance in QOL.Conclusions: CAM use is prevalent and younger age, higher education levels, higher income, less physician consultation, and higher cancer stage are significant correlates to CAM use. Controlling for covariates (e.g., gender, BMI), CAM use is significantly associated with lower anxiety and depression compared with those of non-CAM users.

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Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with hematological cancers in Malaysia

Abstract: In view of the high prevalence of CAM use in patients with hematological cancers, it is important that the physicians play an active role in seeking information from patients and to monitor possible drug-vitamin-herbal interactions.

Cited by 23 publications

References 29 publications

Use of the Herbal OTC Products and Dietary Supplements by Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Survey-Based Study

Use of the Herbal OTC Products and Dietary Supplements by Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Survey-Based Study

Prevalence, risk factors and health outcomes associated with polypharmacy among urban community-dwelling older adults in multi-ethnic Malaysia

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Its Association with Emotional Status and Quality of Life in Patients with a Solid Tumor: A Cross-Sectional Study

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