2008 CAM news archive

This page highlights news in the complementary, alternative and integrative medicine fields. To let us know about news you think should appear on this page, e-mail editor@thefacts.org with the word NEWS in the title.

For CAM conference information, please see our conferences list.

Check out FACT news, our upcoming FACT events or member events!

2008: January February March Summer September October November December

December 2008

Research

  • The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (Washington, D.C.) will publish the results of research to determine whether participation in a mind-body skills group program based on psychological self-care, mind-body techniques, and self-expression decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To be published in January's edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Postwar Kosovar Adolescents Using Mind-Body Skills Groups: A Randomized Controlled Trial study concludes that mind-body skills groups can reduce PTSD symptoms in war-traumatized high school students and can be effectively led by trained and supervised schoolteachers.
  • Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have just completed a review entitled Acupuncture for the management of chronic headache: A systematic review, examining more than 30 acupuncture clinical trials where acupuncture was used for more than four weeks to treat adults with headaches. Results suggest that acupuncture may be more effective than medication in reducing chronic headache severity and frequency. (read more)

Other news

  • A recent US government survey found that approximately 38% of U.S. adults and 12% of children use some type of complementary and alternative medicine. Over 23,000 adults and over 9,000 children were surveyed for the report, entitled "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007". Other findings from the survey showed that more women (48.2%) than men (33.5%) use CAM, as do older and more educated and wealthier adults, and those living in the western part of the United States. (read more) (factsheet)

November 2008

Funding opportunities

  • The Vancouver Foundation is offering a salary award to support a half-time investigator located in BC, starting January 2009. The recipient will receive $50,000 per year for one and a half years and receive funding to contribute to the hiring of a Statistical Consultant and a Research Coordinator. All family practice physicians and midwives residing and working in British Columbia are eligible to apply. The application deadline is Friday, November 14, 2008. Information: Phone 604-827-4185 or e-mail research.office@familymed.ubc.ca
  • The National Institutes of Health announced a new grant. Apply for this funding into the investigation of CAM approaches in the management of HIV disease and its complications, before March 27, 2009.
  • A new, short-term study may indicate that listening to relaxing music may lead to improved blood circulation. "Although this was just an acute [short-term] study, it suggests that laughter and listening to relaxing music may provide cardioprotection or be heart-healthy." (read more)

Research updates

  • The November edition of Inspire Health is now available. Feature article "Vitamin C and chemotherapy: Looking at the evidence" and other cancer and CAM-related research and reviews.
  • Researchers have halted the study EDTA chelation therapy for cardiovascular disease: a systematic review, a follow-up to an earlier study which found that EDTA chelation therapy to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk profiles when compared to control, because because 3 of the 5 members in the placebo group dropped out due to a lack of improvement. 

Other news

  • You are invited to sign the petition for a Cochrane Library National License, which would mean that all Canadians would have access to this reliable source of evidence about what works in health care treatments. Encourage Canada to join Australia, England, Finland, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Wales in supporting informed healthcare decisions.
    The Cochrane Library is an on-line resource that contains the best available evidence regarding the benefits and harms of health care treatments and health policy decisions. The 540 000 record library contains over 3 000 syntheses of research (called systematic reviews) that are considered the ‘gold standard’ of their kind, and reliable information from health research organizations around the world (abstracts of other systematic reviews, health technology assessments, economic evaluations, and individual clinical trials). All of this information supports evidence-informed health care decisions.

October 2008

October is chiropractic month and breast cancer awareness month.

Studies examining CAM use:

  • A recent survey by the American Hospital Association determined that 37% of US hospitals offered some sort of complementary and alternative health care in 2007. This is a 40% increase in the number of hospitals offering at least some CAM services. (article)
  • A new study examining the use of CAM by African Americans aged 60 and older telephoned participants to ask them about their use of eight common alternative modalities (individual prayer, herbal or home remedies, group spiritual practices, meditation and visualization, health massages, chiropractic, acupuncture and relaxation or biofeedback) in the last year. Researchers found 88.4% surveyed used them (individual prayer at 96%, herbal or home remedies at 29.5%, and group spiritual practices at 17%). For more information, read the study: Complementary and alternative medicine use among older urban African Americans: Individual and neighborhood associations.
  • The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has found that more people are turning to traditional acupuncture to alleviate symptoms caused by the emotional strains of everyday life. The study found that the top three emotional issues for which acupuncture treatment is sought are depression (18%), anxiety (13%) and insomnia (10%) with stress following closely behind. (read more)
  • A study of dietary patterns in 52 countries published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found that the typical Western diet (fried foods, salty snacks and meat) accounts for about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world. (read more)
  • This past August, a study from researchers at the American Cancer Society finds many cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer, the study also finds that women, younger survivors, whites, individuals with higher income, and those with more education were more likely to use complementary methods. (read more)
  • A study examining the effectiveness of combined Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in the treatment of atopic dermatitis concluded that the combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have a beneficial effect on patients with atopic dermatitis and may offer better results than Chinese herbal medicine alone. (read more)

New research reported this month:

  • The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has added four new research centres. The new centres examine the neuroscience and psychophysiology of meditation, the metabolic and immunologic effects of meditation, CAM as countermeasures against infectious and inflammatory disease, and herbal research on colorectal cancer.(article)
  • NCCAM research has discovered that half the 679 US physicians they surveyed prescribe placebos on a regular basis (62% of physicians surveyed think this practice is ethical). Results were also published in the British Medical Journal.

"For the purposes of this survey, placebo was defined as a treatment physicians recommend because they think a patient will benefit from positive expectations, not because they think the treatment will have a physiological effect on the patient's particular condition. Among physicians who prescribed placebos, few said they used inert treatments such as saline injections or sugar pills; they were more likely to recommend over-the-counter analgesics (41%) or vitamins (38%), and some used antibiotics (13%) or sedatives (13%) as placebos." (article)

  • The NCCAM published the results of a large trial, the Herbal Alternatives (HALT) for Menopause Study, a year-long, randomized, double-blind trial compared several herbal regimens and menopausal hormone therapy to placebo. It failed to identify significant differences between the women using the herbal supplement black cohosh and a placebo. For more information, read the NIA press release.
  • An initial independent review of data from the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SELECT) study looked at whether selenium and vitamin E supplements prevented prostate cancer. It found they had no benefit, taken either together or alone. (read more)
  • A Cochrane Systematic Review backs up previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorders. "Overall, we found that the St. John's wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebos and as effective as standard antidepressants, with fewer side effects," says lead researcher, Klaus Linde of the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich, Germany. (source) (study)
  • A new study concludes that the antioxidant-rich Brazilian palm berry (acai berry) is effectively absorbed in humans when consumed in either juice or pulp form, reports the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (read more)
  • A new study, published British Journal of Health Psychology, found that people who visualised themselves going through the actions involved in a specific health behaviour were then more likely to intend to carry out the behaviour. It examined the effects of mental simulation on subsequent intentions (the intention to give blood), finding that people who were asked to visualise themselves going through the actions involved in giving blood (making an appointment, taking the route, preparing to donate) were subsequently more likely to intend to donate blood than people who did not do this visualisation, or only visualised the outcome. (source) (study)
  • A Cochrane Systematic Review examines acupuncture and assisted conception. It concludes that acupuncture performed on the day of embryo transfer shows a beneficial effect on the live birth rate but cautions this could be attributed to placebo effect and the small number of women included in the trials. It goes on state that acupuncture should not be offered during the luteal phase in routine clinical practice until further evidence is available from sufficiently powered RCTs. (study)

The Integrator blog recently published an article on the US presidential race with a focus on Obama's and McCain's thoughts on CAM therapies. The blog author also polled practitioners for their thoughts. This excellent blog is always insightful.

September 2008

September is Healthy Aging month. There were a number of topical research projects this month:

  • The NCCAM launched a new website, Time to Talk, encouraging people over 50 to talk to their health-care providers about CAM, and to tell them about the CAM treatments they are receiving. The website includes tools for practitioners, doctors, patients and professional or community organisations. Also available in Spanish.
  • A new study examined the effect of glucosamine and chondroitin in the slowing of knee osteoarthritis. It concluded that they were no more effective than a placebo. (story)
  • The US National Institute of Health announced that it will establish a multisite research network to conduct clinical trials of promising treatments for the most common symptoms of the menopausal transition. Possible treatments to be studied during the five-year project period include: antidepressants, paced respiration (relaxation breathing) yoga; low-dose estradiol (patch and gel), and exercise programs (both moderate and vigorous). (story)

IN-CAM launched the new HomeoNet website. "HomeoNet is a newly formed research network dedicated to the advancement of research in homeopathic medicine in Canada. Its goals are to facilitate high quality Canadian homeopathic research, to build communication avenues between a wide variety of homeopathic stakeholders, and to build partnerships amongst a wide range of researchers and practitioners involved in homeopathy research". It works in collaboration with IN-CAM a well-established CAM research network.

In other news, the American Hospital Association reports that a growing number of American hospitals are offering complementary and alternative medicine services alongside their more conventional medical services. According to the survey, "more than 37 percent of responding hospitals indicated they offer one or more CAM therapies, up from 26.5 percent in 2005.". (source) For more information, read the AHA press release, see a summary and analysis on the Integrator blog or purchase the report from the Health Forum online store.

The US Federal Trade Commission has launched a new website, Cure-ious, to help protect consumers from fraudulent cancer products being sold online. The site tells consumers how to spot and report bogus claims they see online, and urges people with cancer to talk to their treatment team about any products they'd like to try. It features a video and includes a list of resources on cancer treatments from a variety of agencies within the US federal government. Information is provided in English and Spanish. (site)

The NCCAM recently published a study showing that hypnosis may reduce hot flashed in breast cancer survivors. According to the study "The women who received hypnosis had a 68-percent reduction in self-reported hot flash frequency/severity and experienced an average of 4.39 fewer hot flashes per day. Compared with controls, they also had significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, interference with daily activities, and sleep." This study adds to the growing body of information on CAM and menopause published by the NCCAM. (study) (more information)

The Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Health and Caring Sciences (Stockholm, Sweden) published a study, Effects of minimal acupuncture in children with infantile colic : A prospective, quasi-randomised single blind controlled trial, which suggests that four treatments with light needling on one point in the hand may alleviate crying and pain related behaviour without any noted side effects.

Summer 2008

Here are some things we have become aware of over the summer:

  • IN-CAM relaunched their website, featuring easier navigation and a modern esthetic. Please visit the new site at we believe this website design more accurately reflects the network it represents. Check out the new site at http://www.incamresearch.ca
  • The Sick Kids Foundation is accepting applications from researchers who are involved in projects that evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAM therapies for children or youth. The application deadline for the National Grants Program grant “Practitioner Research Career Development Award Complementary and Alternative Health Care and Paediatrics” is October 15, 2008.
  • The Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada has established a dedicated massage therapy research fund to fund high-quality research investigating the efficacy and clinical effectiveness of massage therapy that contributes to our understanding of how massage therapy achieves its effects.
    This is a research funding competition open to applicants involved in either clinical or policy research. Grant applications up to $15,000 will be considered. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 5 p.m. EST. Applicants will be notified of the status of their applications by December 1 and awards will be granted before December 31, 2008.

New research reported:

  • An evidence-based trial concluded that tai chi programmes help prevent falls among older adults. The study, which appeared in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health, was funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (source) (Information on preventing falls in older adults)
  • A Canadian study conducted in collaboration with the University of Alberta in Canada was designed to measure the safety and tolerability of COLD-fX for treatment of cold and flu in children. (Editor's note: The main active ingredient in this over-the-counter remedy is Panax quinquefolius, Canadian or North American ginseng root.) (source)
  • A new study published in online in the open-access journal PLoS One suggests that mind-body techniques like yoga and meditation that put the body in a state of deep rest (known as the 'relaxation response'), are capable of changing how genes behave in response to stress. (study)
  • The British Medical Journal published an article about a randomised controlled clinical trial of the effect of Alexander Technique lessons, exercise and massage on chonic and recurrent back pain. (source)
  • Research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine fround that found that mice treated with grape seed extract had significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive deterioration compared to the control mice. (source)
  • Researchers examining the effects of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) on children living with ADHD, funded by the NCCAM, concluded that "St. John's wort does not appear to have an impact on the symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents". (source)

March 2008

Conferences this month: Holistic World Expo, March 14-16, 2008, in Toronto. The Creating Hope in Mental Health conference (May 23-25, Toronto) is now accepting research papers and poster presentations. For more information, see our
conferences list.

February 2008

Communicating with Chinese-Canadian patients

A group of Chinese-Canadian physicians and residents are doing some research into Medical Chinese programmes across Canadian hospital and health care facilities. The focus is on what physicians can do in the context of history taking — questions to ask, how to ask, cultural sensitivities, etc — and examination.

If you know of anything novel, please let me know by e-mail or contribute to the UBC Health Library wiki stub on the topic: Medical Chinese for health workers

Thanks,

Dean Giustini, UBC biomedical branch librarian
Diamond Health Care Centre and Vancouver Hospital
Vancouver BC, Canada V5Z 1M9
blog: weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/googlescholar 

In other news, the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports on a study examining the effect of ginko biloba at on the onset of dementia in older patients. According to the study, "researchers did not find a reduction in progression to dementia in those using ginkgo versus those using placebo. However, when the researchers took into account participants' adherence to taking the compound, the group that took ginkgo did appear to have a reduced risk of progression and a smaller decline in memory". (source)

A new study published in the British Medical Journals examined the effects of acupuncture on the rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation. According to the report, "current preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation". For more information, read the study online. (source) (more information)

January 2008

As you may know, FACT has been busily re-building and re-designing our website with the help of one of our members at Splash Interactive and our new website co-ordinator. In January, we moved to a new server, which has the functionality we require to offer new and improved website services to our members.

For more information see our membership page, call 416-299-5113 or e-mail messages@thefacts.org.