Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease: An Evidence-Based Review

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) plays a significant role in many aspects of healthcare worldwide, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review describes some of the challenges of CAM in terms of scientific research. Biologically-based therapies, mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies, whole medical systems, and energy medicine are reviewed in detail with regard to cardiovascular risk factors and mediation or modulation of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. CAM use among patients with CVD is prevalent and in many instances provides positive and significant effects, with biologically-based and mind-body therapies being the most commonly used treatment modalities. More rigorous research to determine the precise physiologic effects and long-term benefits on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with CAM usage, as well as more open lines of communication between patients and physicians regarding CAM use, is essential when determining optimal treatment plans.

The Association Between Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Health Status Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

“…Similar to prior studies, almost a third of the patients from our analytic cohort were using some form of CAM . The data on the use of CAM for improvement in symptoms and quality of life after an AMI are scarce, but these studies generally have been positive . Among patients hospitalized for an acute coronary syndrome who were surveyed at 6 months after hospitalization, patients who had used CAM were more likely to report “feeling some degree of improvement in their quality of life and heart disease” as compared with those who did not use CAM .…”

“…The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in the United States is both prevalent and costly, accounting for $33.9 billion in out‐of‐pocket spending and 1.5% of total health care expenditures . One‐third to one‐half of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) use some form of CAM, in an effort to improve cardiac symptoms or reduce cardiovascular risk .…”

“…The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in the United States is both prevalent and costly, accounting for $33.9 billion in out-of-pocket spending and 1.5% of total health care expenditures. 1 One-third to Dr. Spertus has received research grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, Gilead, Lilly, EvaHeart, and Amorcyte; receives consultant honoraria from United Healthcare, Genentech, and Amgen; and holds copyright for the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. The authors have no other funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.…”

Phytotherapie bei koronarer Herzkrankheit – Was gibt es an Evidenz?

“…Der Schwerpunkt der naturheilkundlichen Behandlung der koronaren Herzkrankheit (KHK) liegt zweifellos in der Prä-vention und möglichst frühen Behandlung [1][3] [4]. So hat die American Heart Association (AHA) schon vor knapp 10 Jahren beispielsweise ihre Definition der Herzinsuffizienz geändert: Bereits das Vorliegen von Risikofaktoren, die mit der Entstehung der Herzinsuffizienz assoziiert sind, stellen das 1.…”

“…Laut internationalen Reviews ist der Einsatz komplementärer Therapien bei Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen weit verbreitet und führt in vielen Fällen zu positiven und signifikanten Effekten [1]. Dabei werden pflanzliche Arzneimittel von bis zu 46 % der betroffenen Patienten verwendet [2].…”