January 2006

Diabetics use alternative and normal therapy

Results of a study do not support the notion that people who use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) are less apt to use conventional “evidence-based” medical and preventive care services. On the contrary, it seems they are more apt to use conventional medical services.

In a survey of 2,474 adult diabetics, Drs. Donald Garrow and Leonard E. Egede from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston found that 48 percent reported using some form of CAM therapy such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, dietary or herbal therapy, or massage and relaxation therapy.

To the researchers’ surprise, CAM use was independently associated with an increased likelihood of getting a pneumonia vaccination and of visiting the emergency room or a primary care doctor.

This suggests that CAM use in adults with diabetes may not be a barrier to use of preventive care services or use of conventional medical services.

CAM users in the study were typically younger, employed, more educated, and had higher incomes than non-CAM users and therefore may be more likely to afford alternative therapies in addition to their conventional medical treatments, the researchers note.

Source: Diabetes Care, January 2006.

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