A Multicenter Analysis of the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Turkish Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in different regions and cities of Turkey as well as the factors affecting the use of CAM modalities. Planned as a descriptive and cross-sectional study, this research was conducted as a study covering the rheumatology units of 10 university and 4 state hospitals in Turkey. A total of 594 patients meeting the research inclusion criteria comprised the sample. It was detected that 46.9% (n = 279) of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose average disease duration was 10.32 ± 9.05 years used CAM modalities. The most common 3 modalities used by these patients were herbs taken orally, nutritional supplements, and mind-body therapies, with rates of 54.5%, 41.2%, and 40.5%, respectively. It was determined that such variables as age, sex, marital status, education status, and economic situation did not affect the use of CAM (P > .05).

Use of complementary and alternative medicines is associated with delay to initiation of disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drug therapy in early inflammatory arthritis

“…CAM use is common in patients with chronic disease, and the frequency of its use in RA has been well described, especially in traditional Asian societies. [11][12][13]30,31 Singapore is a developed country with good healthcare facilities and outcomes; yet traditional beliefs and therapies remain deeply ingrained, with widespread practice of and belief in CAM, especially in patients with chronic musculoskeletal disease or chronic pain. CAM users were more likely to be older, Chinese and non-English speaking.…”

Natural Product Dietary Supplement Use by Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Scoping Review

“…Three studies did not have a separate RA data analysis, but >50% of the study population were patients with RA (16,21,28). Most of the studies acquired their data via an in-person questionnaire-based interview (12 of 23), 2 were self-administered surveys (22,30), 1 was a telephone interview (18), 2 were mailed (19,27), and 6 did not specify (15,17,26,33,36,37). A majority of the studies verified the RA diagnosis from the provider or from chart review (n = 15).…”

“…For example, vitamins and minerals were included in overall NDS use in a minority of studies (26), while in other studies, use of herbal remedies or traditional forms of herbal medicine were reported separately from NDS (16,21,24,27,28,33). For example, vitamins and minerals were included in overall NDS use in a minority of studies (26), while in other studies, use of herbal remedies or traditional forms of herbal medicine were reported separately from NDS (16,21,24,27,28,33).…”

“…The highest rate of NDS use (70.4%) was demonstrated in a study in the Republic of Korea by Lee et al (29). Of the 9 studies querying NDS efficacy for symptom management, an average of 47% of patients (range 21%-73%) found NDS to be effective (15,16,21,25,26,28,29,31,33). Of the 9 studies querying NDS efficacy for symptom management, an average of 47% of patients (range 21%-73%) found NDS to be effective (15,16,21,25,26,28,29,31,33).…”

“…Of the 9 studies querying NDS efficacy for symptom management, an average of 47% of patients (range 21%-73%) found NDS to be effective (15,16,21,25,26,28,29,31,33). Of the 7 studies that asked patients if they informed their health care providers about NDS use (16,22,24,26,28,29,33), the average prevalence of reported NDS usage was 30% (range 4%-70%). A total of 7 studies (15,16,18,21,28,29,33) demonstrated the prevalence of patients experiencing adverse effects, with an average prevalence rate of 13% (range 4%-24%).…”