Factors associated with the use of complementary therapies in Taiwanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and the factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies for Taiwanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods In this cross-sectional study, 351 patients with SLE were consecutively recruited from a regional hospital in southern Taiwan from April to August 2019. Demographic and clinical information, including the use of different types of complementary therapies, was ascertained using a self-constructed questionnaire. Disease-specific quality of life was measured using the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire. SLE disease activity was assessed using the rheumatologist-scored Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2 K). Factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results Of the 351 patients with SLE, 90.3% were female, and 60.1% were ≥ 40 years of age. The prevalence of the regular use of any type of complementary therapy was 85.5%. The five most popular types of complementary therapy used were (1) fitness walking or strolling, (2) Buddhist prayer or attending temple, (3) vitamin consumption, (4) calcium supplementation, and (5) fish oil supplementation. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the significant and independent factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies in patients with SLE were age ≥ 40 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.76, p = 0.013), nonoverweight or nonobesity (aOR 0.29, p = 0.004), engagement in vigorous exercise in the past year (aOR 4.62, p = 0.002), a lower SLEDAI-2 K score (aOR 0.90, p = 0.029), and a lower score in the physical health domain of the LupusQoL (aOR 0.57, p = 0.001). Conclusions A high prevalence of complementary therapy use in Taiwanese patients with SLE was observed. Rheumatologists should routinely ask patients about their use of supplements to minimize the risk of interaction with medical therapy.

Association of Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Complementary Therapy Use in Taiwanese Female Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This cross-sectional study was a sub-study of our previous investigation of factors associated with the use of complementary therapies among Taiwanese patients with SLE [ 9 ]. In the present study, we focused on the use of complementary therapy in female patients with different clinical manifestations of SLE.…”

“…Complementary therapies were presented as seven broad categories in the questionnaire, as described in our previous study [ 9 ] ( Table 1 ). A Likert-type scale with four response choices was used.…”

“…Moreover, our previous study showed that over 85% of Taiwanese patients with SLE used complementary therapies on a regular basis. The top five popular types of complementary therapies used were fitness walking or strolling, Buddhist prayer or attending temples, vitamins, calcium supplements, and fish oil [ 9 ]. Nevertheless, while there is some evidence that certain complementary therapies could be beneficial for certain clinical conditions, studies on their efficacy and long-term safety are still limited [ 10 ].…”

Application of herbal traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of lupus nephritis

“…Because of the complexity, cost, and poor efficacy of LN treatments, supplementary and complementary treatment options are becoming increasingly attractive ( Balkrishna et al, 2020 ; Lu et al, 2021 ). Chinese herbal medicine, which has been practiced for thousands of years, remains one of the leading treatments in China and East Asia.…”

Rheumatic Diseases: New Progress in Clinical Research and Pathogenesis

“…Liao et al demonstrated that patients with RA using Chinese medicine could reduce the risk of developing Sjögren’s Syndrome, a common extra-articular manifestation of RA [ 11 ]. Regarding complementary therapy usage, our previous study found that more than 85% of Taiwanese patients with SLE used complementary therapies on a regular basis [ 12 ]. We found that different clinical manifestations of SLE were associated with the use of specific complementary therapies.…”