Herbal and Dietary Supplement Use among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) from a Rural Region in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) are commonly used for diabetes management and health maintenance due to their perceived safety and benefits.However, HDS can have potential adverse effects, and data on their use among rural communities in Malaysia are limited.Objective: This study explores the prevalence, associated factors, and disclosure rates of HDS use among diabetic patients in a rural region of Malaysia.Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional survey of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients was conducted in seven healthcare facilities located in Hulu Selangor, Malaysia.Data were collected from randomly sampled patients using an intervieweradministered questionnaire and from patient medical records.Logistic regression analyses examined the association between HDS use in general and for diabetes management with various patient characteristics.Results: A total of 273 patients responded to the survey.34.8% of patients reported HDS use in the past month, while 13.5% of patients attributed the use of HDS to T2DM management.The most common form of HDS used for diabetes was Momordica charantia (14%), followed by functional beverages (12%).16% of these identified HDS were either unknown to patients or were unregistered products.Indian patients were significantly less likely to consume HDS compared to Malay patients.The odds of HDS consumption increased by 62.7% with each higher income bracket and by 45.2% with higher physical activity levels.Patients with secondary education or higher were more than twice as likely to use HDS for diabetes management.Less than 17% of patients disclosed the use of HDS to healthcare professionals.Conclusion: The use of HDS among T2DM patients in the studied rural region is slightly lower but broadly comparable to that reported in more developed settings.Efforts to educate patients on safe HDS use while optimising its disclosure to healthcare providers are crucial to prevent adverse events or compromised therapy.