Diabetics Are Trying Alternative Treatments

Source: Tufts University
April 30, 2002 (Reviewed: April 6, 2004)

Increasing numbers of people with diabetes are adding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices to their treatment routine. A recent study published in Diabetes Care reveals that people with diabetes are more likely than people without the disease to use CAM.

CAM: Not what the doctor ordered

A large government survey (The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey) routinely obtains information about medical conditions, health insurance, health care use, and general demographic information. For the first time, the 1996 survey asked about CAM use.

In this particular survey, CAM was defined as "approaches to healthcare that are different from those typically practiced by medical doctors in the United States." A list was presented to respondents including practices such as acupuncture, nontraditional nutrition advice or lifestyle diets, massage therapy, herbal remedies, biofeedback, meditation and imagery or relaxation techniques. The survey asked participants if they had consulted with someone over the past year who provided any of these types of treatment.

CAM use in people with diabetes

The survey included over 21,000 people with a response rate of almost 80%. Of those surveyed, 825 people had diabetes. The majority of the people with diabetes were women (55%), educated (61% had at least a high school education), insured (63% had private insurance), married (59%), and white (72%). Many of the participants (64%) had another medical condition (high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cancer) in addition to their diabetes.

Eight percent of the people with diabetes reported using CAM, compared with only five percent of their counterparts without diabetes. The most common types of CAM used were nutrition advice and lifestyle diets -- naturopathic or homeopathic nutrition/diets, megadoses of vitamins, and the Atkins diet -- followed by spiritual healing, herbal remedies, massage therapy, and meditation training.

Age and education relate to CAM use

Among people with diabetes, those over the age of 65 were three times more likely to use CAM than younger individuals. Those with a high school education or greater were more than twice as likely to use CAM than those less educated. Gender, race, income and the existence of another condition had no significant influence on CAM use.

The importance of asking patients about CAM

The cornerstones of diabetes management are maintaining a healthy weight, following a healthful diet, getting regular physical activity, and possibly taking a medication (insulin or an oral agent). However, based on the results of this preliminary study, people with diabetes are also turning to CAM therapies to manage the disease. Dietary supplements and herbal remedies were among the popular types of CAM used.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 defined the term dietary supplement, and categorized these products as food rather than as medication. As a result, dietary supplements do not undergo the same testing and regulations as medications. Before any medication reaches the market, it undergoes rigorous testing by the Food and Drug Administration to determine if it is safe and effective. Dietary supplements and herbal remedies, however, do NOT need FDA approval before being marketed to the public. Due to the unregulated nature of this industry coupled with the popularity of CAM, it is essential to ask patients about their CAM use.

It's also important to ask patients about CAM use because of possible interactions with OTC and prescription drugs -- many of which are taken by people with diabetes. To learn more about CAM, visit the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (see link below).

Source

• The prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use in individuals with diabetes. L. Egede, D. Zheng, X. Ye,  et al., Diabetes Care, 2002, vol. 25, pp. 324--329

Related Links
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Alternative Medicine: Diabetes Mellitus
Lifestyle More Important Than Medication in Preventing Diabetes
To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator

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