Key result
Complementary and alternative medicine was used by 56.2% of cardiac patients, with herbal medicine being the most common type and ethnicity serving as a significant predictor of use (OR 1.962).
Why the study?
What is the prevalence, type, and factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use among cardiac patients?
Cross-Sectional (n=329)
No
What is the prevalence, type, and factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use among cardiac patients?
A high proportion (56.2%) of cardiac patients in Trinidad and Tobago use complementary and alternative medicine concurrently with conventional therapy, highlighting the need for physician awareness to prevent potential herb-drug interactions.
High CAM use in cardiac patients supports clinician screening for interactions; leaves open causal effects and outcomes in prospective studies.
BACKGROUND: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) persists, despite the availability of conventional medicine (CM), modernisation, globalisation, technological advancement, and limited scientific evidence supporting CAM. People with cardiovascular diseases often use CAM, despite possible major adverse effects and lack of evidence supporting CAM claims. This study explored CAM use among cardiac patients, the types of CAM used, reasons and factors that influence its use, and the association between patient demographics and CAM use. METHODS: This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using quota sampling to survey 329 public clinic adult cardiac patients within the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) of Trinidad and Tobago. From 1 July 2012 to 31August 2012, each participant completed questionnaires, after consenting to participate. Data analysis included χ(2) tests and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-five (56.2%; standard error [SE] = 2.74%) patients used CAM. Herbal medicine was the most common CAM (85.9%; SE = 2.56%), followed by spiritual therapy/mind-body systems (61.6%; SE = 3.58%), physical therapy/body manipulation (13.5%; SE = 2.51%), alternative systems (8.1%; SE = 2.01%), and other methods (3.8%; SE = 1. 41%). The patients believed that CAM promotes health and wellness (79.5%; SE = 2.97%), assists in fighting illness (78.9%; SE = 3.00%), addresses the limitations of CM (69.2%; SE = 3.56%), alleviates symptoms (21.6%; SE = 6.51%), costs less than CM (21.6 %, SE = 3.03), and has fewer adverse/damaging effects than CM (29.7, SE =3.36), or they were disappointed with CM (12.4%, SE = 2.42). Ethnicity and religion were associated with CAM usage, but only ethnicity was a useful predictor of CAM use. CONCLUSIONS: Complementary and alternative medicine use was high among cardiac patients (56.2%, SE = 2.74%), and associated with ethnicity and religion. Friends, family, and perceived mode of action influenced a patient's use of CAM.
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Mandreker Bahall (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular disease (n=329). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use vs. Non-use of CAM was evaluated on Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use. Complementary and alternative medicine was used by 56.2% of cardiac patients, with herbal medicine being the most common type and ethnicity serving as a significant predictor of use (OR 1.962).
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