Alternative Medicine News and Research

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Negative interactions between friends and family increase hypertension risk

Keeping your friends close and your enemies closer may not be the best advice if you are 50 or older.

29 May 2014

Estrogen therapy and venlafaxine treatment effective for hot flashes, night sweats

A new research study from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) that compares low-dose oral estrogen and low-dose non-hormonal venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release (XR) to placebo were both found effective in reducing the number of hot flashes and night sweats reported by menopausal women.

27 May 2014

New online training module greatly improves medical student clinical skills

An online training module designed for the evaluation and care of chronic pain greatly improved medical student clinical skills, according to a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

22 May 2014

Grape skin extract: A new possibility in diabetes treatment

The diabetes rate in the United States nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Approximately 26 million Americans are now classified as diabetic, stressing an urgent need for safe and effective complementary strategies to enhance the existing conventional treatment for diabetes.

12 May 2014

Research explores new diagnostic strategies to detect glaucoma

Research exploring several new diagnostic strategies to find the earliest changes in the eye to detect glaucoma is underway at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. One optometrist says awareness of this eye disorder is just as important as continuing to study it.

7 Mar 2014

Healthy Directions launches Krill Omega Defense

Healthy Directions, LLC, today announced the launch of Krill Omega Defense™, a unique krill supplement formulated by Julian Whitaker, MD, that supports and maintains the health of the body's key biological functions and systems—from the heart, brain, and nerves to the eyes and bones.

25 Feb 2014

Combination of infused vitamin C and conventional chemotherapy drugs stops ovarian cancer

Scientists at the University of Kansas Medical Center have determined that high doses of vitamin C, administered intravenously with traditional chemotherapy, helped kill cancer cells while reducing the toxic effects of chemotherapy for some cancer patients.

10 Feb 2014

Older adults with low back pain are interested in receiving co-managed care, shows study

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the value of chiropractic care, promotes the findings of a new study, "Perspectives of older adults on co-management of low back pain by doctors of chiropractic and family medicine physicians: a focus group study" (BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 9.16.2013).

27 Dec 2013

New study reports first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body with meditation

With evidence growing that meditation can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body.

6 Dec 2013

Longer looks: Parents' crusade on rare diseases; fighting obesity; experts' view of alternative medicine

In the beginning, Chris Hempel noticed the clumsiness. Her girls tripped over toys on the floor. Their grandfather said he couldn't teach them to pedal their tricycles. … The Hempels learned of people who called themselves citizen-scientists. Many shared research papers and their day-to-day experience. Some talked of their willingness to try any promising drug. Others sought a role as equal partners with researchers. Scientists, while sympathetic, generally believe their work should be left to experts. Families are encouraged to raise money if they want to help, but the traditional view is that amateurs can't shape research or find cures. The Hempels found a maddening gap between the search for scientific knowledge and the search for treatments (Amy Docker Marcus, 11/2013).

22 Nov 2013

BIDMC pilot study shows promise for age-related cognitive disorders

It's well known that the brains of meditators change, but it's not entirely clear what those changes mean or how the changes might benefit the meditator. A new pilot study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests that the brain changes associated with meditation and stress reduction may play an important role in slowing the progression of age-related cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

18 Nov 2013

Disruption of brain signals contributes to increased pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia patients

New research indicates that a disruption of brain signals for reward and punishment contributes to increased pain sensitivity, known as hyperalgesia, in fibromyalgia patients. Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology, suggest that this altered brain processing might contribute to widespread pain and lack of response to opioid therapy in patients with fibromyalgia.

5 Nov 2013

Lifestyle of veterans influences their post-deployment wellness

A new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds that the lifestyle of veterans both pre- and post-deployment influences their post-deployment wellness.

31 Oct 2013

Certain blood pressure medications may reduce risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease

A Johns Hopkins-led analysis of data previously gathered on more than 3,000 elderly Americans strongly suggests that taking certain blood pressure medications to control blood pressure may reduce the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

17 Oct 2013

Barriers to incorporating CAM and IM training into family medicine residency program identified

Investigators at Boston University School of Medicine have identified that lack of time and a paucity of trained faculty are perceived as the most significant barriers to incorporating complementary and alternative medicine and integrative medicine training into family medicine residency curricula and training programs.

10 Oct 2013

Longer looks: Chinese medicine; revolutionary doctors; frozen embryos

A few years ago, while visiting Beijing, I caught a cold. My wife, who is Chinese, and wanted me to feel better, took me to a local restaurant. After we sat down, she ordered a live turtle.

5 Oct 2013

Doing yoga during menopause linked to less insomnia

Taking a 12-week yoga class and practicing at home was linked to less insomnia-but not to fewer or less bothersome hot flashes or night sweats. The link between yoga and better sleep was the only statistically significant finding in this MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) Network randomized controlled trial.

29 Sep 2013