The use of herbal and dietary supplement among community-dwelling elderly in a suburban town of Malaysia

Abstract

Background The use of herbal and dietary supplement (HDS) in health and disease management has gained global attention. HDS are generally accepted by the public and are associated with positive health behaviours. However, several reports have been documented with regards to their potential adverse effects and interaction with conventional medicines. Limited data is currently available on the use of HDS among elderly population in Malaysia. This present study aims to investigate the prevalence of and pattern of HDS use among a sample of community-dwelling elderly in a suburban town in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and May 2019 among the elderly aged ≥60 years old. The participants with the following criteria were included in the study: aged ≥60 years, residing in Puncak Alam and able to understand Malay or English language. Data were collected using a pre-validated questionnaire. All statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 23. Results Overall, 336 out of 400 elderly responded to the survey, achieving a response rate of 84%. This study observed that almost 50% of the respondents were using at least one type of HDS in the past one month of the survey. Among HDS non-users, most of them preferred to use modern medicines (62.6%, 114/182). Among the HDS users, 75.3% (116/154) were using at least one type of modern medicine (prescription or over-the-counter medicine). Multivariate analysis showed that having good to excellent perceived health (adjusted OR = 2.666, 95% CI = 1.592–4.464), having felt sick at least once in the past one month (adjusted OR = 2.500, 95% CI = 1.426–4.383), and lower body mass index (adjusted OR = 0.937, 95% CI = 0.887–0.990) were associated with HDS use. It was noted that only a small percentage of HDS users (16.2%, 25/154) had informed healthcare providers on their HDS use. Conclusion The use of HDS is common among the elderly sampled. Hence, healthcare providers should be more vigilant in seeking information of HDS use for disease management in their elderly patients. Campaigns that provide accurate information regarding the appropriate use of HDS among the elderly are pertinent to prevent misinformation of the products.

Tissue-Protective Mechanisms of Bioactive Phytochemicals in Flap Surgery

“…Clinical studies focusing on phytochemicals in flap surgery are still rare, even though the favorable risk–benefit profile of phytochemicals would make them good candidates for the treatment of patients ( Wahab et al, 2021 ). Indeed, from the compounds addressed, only three have been tested in human studies in the context of flap surgery, i.e., salvianolic acid B, TMP, and hydroxysafflor yellow A ( Chen et al, 2010 ; Ma et al, 2010; Shining and Zha, 2011 ).…”

Why Did I Consult My Pharmacist about Herbal and Dietary Supplements? An Online Survey Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

“…Additionally, we observed that individuals living in suburban areas were less likely to consult CPs about HDSs than those living in urban areas. This is a concern because in Malaysia, HDSs are prevalently used among those living in suburban areas [ 1 , 61 , 62 , 63 ]. While no data can be compared directly to our result, in a study conducted in Michigan, USA, Malewski et al, reported that individuals who lived in a suburban area were less likely to seek advice from CPs about medications than those who lived in an urban area [ 64 ].…”

“…Herbal and dietary supplements (HDSs) are widely used in Malaysia [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] as well as in other countries [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. HDS products are readily accessible over the counter with no prescription required to obtain them.…”

“…Nevertheless, previous studies have shown that CPs are underutilized by consumers for information regarding HDSs [ 1 , 3 ]. For example, in a recent study in Malaysia involving suburban consumers, only about 23% cited pharmacists as their source of HDS information, despite almost 56% obtaining the products from a pharmacy [ 1 ]. In another study, 71.8% of urban consumers purchased HDSs from a pharmacy but only about 35% referred to a pharmacist for HDS information [ 3 ].…”

Self-Learning about Herbal and Dietary Supplements: Perspectives Using the Theoretical Domains Framework

“…For instance, a study reported that 44.5% of Malaysian patients consumed dietary supplements (DS), whereas 24.9% used HS to manage medical conditions including diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, and peripheral neuropathy [ 6 ]. Furthermore, the use of HDS is prevalent among the elderly [ 7 , 8 ], pregnant women [ 9 ], and breastfeeding mothers [ 10 ]. As reported in previous studies, a growing interest and positive attitude towards HDS are two main reasons for the widespread use of HDS among the public and patients.…”