Frequency: Quarterly E- ISSN: 2320-8511 P- ISSN: Awaited Abstracted/ Indexed in: Ulrich's International Periodical Directory, Google Scholar, SCIRUS
Quarterly published in print and online "Inventi Impact: Medicine (Formerly Inventi Impact: Holistic Medicines)" publishes high quality unpublished as well as high impact pre-published research and reviews catering to the needs of researchers and professionals. The journal focuses on alternative healthcare systems having wholesome or holy approach towards the health and disease management. Articles are invited from such areas as Ayurveda, Unani, Tibb, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Naturopathy, Massage Therapy, Meditation, Acupuncture, Crystals, Natural Diet and Herbal or Home Remedies.
This study is to investigate the correlations among Sanjian (LI3), Hegu (LI4), and Yangxi (LI5) acupoints and their corresponding\nnonacupoints on the Yangming Large Intestine Meridian of Hand before and after laser irradiation using optical coherence\ntomography (OCT) and diffuse reflectance spectra. The experiment was conducted on 10 healthy people. A 658 nm laser with\n50mW output power was used for irradiating LI4, LI5 acupoints and their corresponding nonacupoints. As to LI4 acupoint with\nlaser irradiation for duration of 15 or 45 minutes, the OCT backscattered light intensities of LI4 and LI5 acupoints increased\nsignificantly, and the reflectance intensities (RIs) of the LI3, LI4, and LI5 acupoints decreased significantly. As to LI5 acupoint\nwith laser irradiation for duration of 15 or 45 minutes, the changes of OCT backscattered light intensities of the corresponding\nirradiated acupoint and LI4 acupoint increased significantly, and the RIs decreased significantly. However, the OCT backscattered\nlight intensities and RIs for their nonacupoints were almost not changed. The results show that an association exists between two\nadjacent same-meridian acupoints on the same meridian after laser-needle acupuncture to some extent....
Diabetes mellitus represents a major burden in Saudi Arabia where seven million (20% of population) are living with diabetes. This\narticle reviews the literature on usage of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM;) therapies among Saudi diabetic\npatients, focusing in particular on identifying the prevalence as well as discussing their safety and efficacy. Three databases\n(PubMed, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect) were searched prior to December 10, 2017, for articles published in peer-reviewed\njournals that reported primary data on the use of traditional and complementary medicine therapies among diabetic patients in\nSaudi Arabia. Six studies were selected according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. In conclusion, the prevalence of use of T&CM;\ntherapies among diabetics in Saudi Arabia was 32.18%. This review identified that the most used T&CM; therapy among diabetics\nwas herbal treatment. The most used herbs were fenugreek, black seeds, neem, myrrh, helteet, harmel, and aloes. There is\ninsufficient or little evidence to support the efficacy of the most identified herbs and therapies. This review is raising the safety\nconcerns about the used herbs and complementary therapies which were commonly used without any medical consultation....
Objective. We sought to demonstrate that maca root may be an effective treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction\n(AISD) in women. Method. We conducted a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of maca root (3.0 g/day) in 45 female\noutpatients (mean age of 41.5 �± 12.5 years) with SSRI/SNRI-induced sexual dysfunction whose depression remitted. Endpoints were\nimprovement in sexual functioning as per the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) and the Massachusetts General Hospital\nSexual Function Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ). Results. 45 of 57 consented females were randomized, and 42 (30 premenopausal and\n12 postmenopausal women) were eligible for a modified intent-to-treat analysis based on having had at least one postmedication\nvisit. Remission rates by the end of treatmentwere higher for the maca than the placebo group, based on attainment of anASEX total\nscore ? 10 (9.5% for maca versus 4.8% for placebo), attaining an MGH-SFQ score ? 12 (30.0% for maca versus 20.0% for placebo)\nand reaching anMGH-SFQ score ? 8 (9.5% for maca versus 5.0% for placebo). Higher remission rates for the maca versus placebo\ngroup were associated with postmenopausal status. Maca was well tolerated. Conclusion. Maca root may alleviate SSRI-induced\nsexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women. This trial is registered with NCT00568126....
To investigate the acupuncture sensations elicited by the Japanese style of acupuncture, penetrating acupuncture and skin-touch\nplacebo needles were randomly administered at various insertion depths (5 and 10mm for the penetrating needles and 1 and\n2mm for the placebo needles) at LI4 to 50 healthy subjects. Among the 12 acupuncture sensations in the Massachusetts General\nHospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS), ââ?¬Å?heavinessââ?¬Â was the strongest and most frequently reported sensation with the\n10mmneedles, but not with the 5mmneedles. There were no significant differences in number of sensations elicited,MASS index,\nrange of spreading, and intensity of needle pain for 5mm penetration versus 1mm skin press and 10mm penetration versus 2mm\nskin press. The MASS index with 2mm skin-touch needles was significantly larger than that with 1mm skin-touch and 5mm\npenetrating needles. The factor structures in the 12 acupuncture sensations between penetrating and skin-touch needles were\ndifferent. The acupuncture sensations obtained in this study under satisfactorily performed double-blind (practitionerââ?¬â??patient)\nconditions suggest that a slight difference in insertion depth and skin press causes significant differences in quantity and quality of\nacupuncture sensations....
Diverse and significant benefits against cold/flu symptoms and seasonal allergies have been observed with a dried fermentate\n(DF) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EpiCor) in multiple published randomized trials. To determine if DF may influence\nother immune conditions, two separate animal studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the ability of DF to prevent or reduce\ninflammation when given orally for 14 days to rats prior to receiving 1% carrageenan (localized inflammation model). DF\nsignificantly (P < 0.05) reduced swelling at all time points (1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours) versus the control. Edema severity and PGE2\nlevels were reduced by approximately 50% and 25% (P < 0.05), respectively. Study 2 examined the ability of DF to treat established\ninflammation induced by type-2 collagen in mice over 4 weeks (autoimmune arthritis model). Significantly reduced arthritis\nscores, antibody response to type-2 collagen, and interferon-gamma levels were observed compared to controls (all parameters\nP < 0.05). DF favorably impacts multiple acute and potentially chronic immunologic inflammatory control mechanisms and\nshould be further tested in clinical trials....
This study protocol aims to explore the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of a herbal medication, Gongjindan (GJD), in\npatients with chronic dizziness. This will be a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallelgroup,\nclinical trial. Seventy-eight patients diagnosed with Meniere�s disease, psychogenic dizziness, or dizziness of unknown\ncause will be randomized and allocated to either a GJD or a placebo group in a 1 : 1 ratio. Participants will be orally given 3.75 g\nGJD or placebo in pill form once a day for 56 days. The primary outcome measure will be the Dizziness Handicap Inventory\nscore. Secondary outcome measures will be as follows: severity (mean vertigo scale and visual analogue scale) and frequency\nof dizziness, balance function (Berg Balance Scale), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale) and deficiency pattern/syndrome (qi blood\nyin yang-deficiency questionnaire) levels, and depression (Korean version of Beck�s Depression Inventory) and anxiety (State-\nTrait Anxiety Inventory) levels. To assess safety, adverse events, including laboratory test results, will be monitored. Further, the\nincremental cost-effectiveness ratio will be calculated based on quality-adjusted life years (from the EuroQoL five dimensions�\nquestionnaire) and medical expenses. Data will be statistically analyzed at a significance level of 0.05 (two-sided). This trial is\nregistered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03219515, in July 2017....
Objective: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is common and has a negative impact on recovery.\nAlthough many stroke patients in Taiwan have used acupuncture as a supplementary treatment for\nreducing stroke comorbidities, little research has been done on the use of acupuncture to prevent\nPSD. Accordingly, our goal is to investigate whether using acupuncture after a stroke can reduce\nthe risk of PSD. Method: This population-based cohort study examined medical claims data from a\nrandom sample of 1 million insured people registered in Taiwan. Newly diagnosed stroke patients\nin the period 2000ââ?¬â??2005 were recruited in our study. All patients were followed through to the end\nof 2007 to determine whether they had developed symptoms of depression. A Cox proportional\nhazard model was used to estimate the relative risk of depression in patients after being diagnosed\nas having had a stroke, with a focus on the differences in those with and without acupuncture\ntreatment. Results: A total of 8487 newly-diagnosed stroke patients were included in our study; of\nthese, 1036 patients received acupuncture more than five times following their stroke, 1053 patients\nreceived acupuncture 1ââ?¬â??5 times following their stroke and 6398 did not receive acupuncture. After we\ncontrolled for potential confounders (e.g., age, sex, insurance premium, residential area, type of stroke,\nlength of hospital stay, stroke severity index, rehabilitation and major illnessââ?¬â??related depression),\nwe found that acupuncture after stroke significantly reduced the risk of depression, with a hazard\nratio (HR) of 0.475 (95% CI, 0.389ââ?¬â??0.580) in frequent acupuncture users and 0.718 (95% CI, 0.612ââ?¬â??0.842)\nin infrequent acupuncture users, indicating that acupuncture may lower the risk of PSD by an\nestimated 52.5% in frequent users and 28.2% in infrequent users. Conclusions: After we controlled for\npotential confounders, it appears that using acupuncture after a stroke lowers the risk of depression.\nAdditional strictly-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to better understand the specific\nmechanisms relating acupuncture to health outcomes....
Background: People-centered tuberculosis (TB) care promotes treatment adherence and outcomes. TB patients’ and families’ health education and protection of their rights are among the core components of people-centered care. We aimed to assess the level of people-centeredness of TB care as a proxy to quality in the largest inpatient unit of the National Pulmonology Center (NPC) in Armenia. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study by interviewing clinical and administrative staff, TB patients, and family members to learn their experiences about patient and family education and rights (PFE&R) protection practices focusing on two Joint Commission International (JCI) Standards for Hospital Accreditation. Mixed-conventional inductive and directed deductive content approach guided the analysis of data. Results: The study revealed various gaps in the provided services. According to the TB physicians and nurses, they routinely educated patients and families and took actions to protect their rights. However, practices reported by TB providers varied across clinical departments and professionals and did not meet the recommendations of the JCI standards. The document review revealed that no written policies or procedures existed in the NPC inpatient unit to guide the implementation of PFE&R. Lastly, patients’ inconsistent experiences were also indicative of the lack of standardization and issues with PFE&R implementation. Conclusion: Bridging the gap between existing and recommended practices by establishing and enforcing new people-centered policies and procedures is a pledge for improving operations and patients’ experiences with a potential nationwide impact in Armenia....
Background: About 90 % of patients with intra-thoracic malignancy experience breathlessness. Breathing training is\nhelpful, but it is unknown whether repeated sessions are needed. The present study aims to test whether three\nsessions are better than one for breathlessness in this population.\nMethods: This is a multi-centre randomised controlled non-blinded parallel arm trial. Participants were allocated to\nthree sessions or single (1:2 ratio) using central computer-generated block randomisation by an independent Trials\nUnit and stratified for centre. The setting was respiratory, oncology or palliative care clinics at eight UK centres.\nInclusion criteria were people with intrathoracic cancer and refractory breathlessness, expected prognosis ââ?°Â¥3\nmonths, and no prior experience of breathing training. The trial intervention was a complex breathlessness\nintervention (breathing training, anxiety management, relaxation, pacing, and prioritisation) delivered over three\nhour-long sessions at weekly intervals, or during a single hour-long session. The main primary outcome was worst\nbreathlessness over the previous 24 hours (ââ?¬Ë?worstââ?¬â?¢), by numerical rating scale (0 = none; 10 = worst imaginable).\nOur primary analysis was area under the curve (AUC) ââ?¬Ë?worstââ?¬â?¢ from baseline to 4 weeks. All analyses were by\nintention to treat.\nResults: Between April 2011 and October 2013, 156 consenting participants were randomised (52 three; 104 single).\nOverall, the ââ?¬Ë?worstââ?¬â?¢ score reduced from 6.81 (SD, 1.89) to 5.84 (2.39). Primary analysis [n = 124 (79 %)], showed no\nbetween-arm difference in the AUC: three sessions 22.86 (7.12) vs single session 22.58 (7.10); P value = 0.83); mean\ndifference 0.2, 95 % CIs (ââ?¬â??2.31 to 2.97). Complete case analysis showed a non-significant reduction in QALYs with\nthree sessions (mean difference ââ?¬â??0.006, 95 % CIs ââ?¬â??0.018 to 0.006). Sensitivity analyses found similar results. The\nprobability of the single session being cost-effective (threshold value of Ã?£20,000 per QALY) was over 80 %.\nConclusions: There was no evidence that three sessions conferred additional benefits, including cost-effectiveness,\nover one. A single session of breathing training seems appropriate and minimises patient burden....
Background: The clinical development of a single encounter treatment for uncomplicated malaria has the potential to\nsignificantly improve the effectiveness of antimalarials. Exploratory data suggested that the combination of artefenomel\nand piperaquine phosphate (PQP) has the potential to achieve satisfactory cure rates as a single dose therapy. The\nprimary objective of the study was to determine whether a single dose of artefenomel (800 mg) plus PQP in ascending\ndoses is an efficacious treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the 'target' population of\nchildren ââ?°Â¤ 5 years of age in Africa as well as Asian patients of all ages.\nMethods: Patients in six African countries and in Vietnam were randomised to treatment with follow-up for 42ââ?¬â??63\ndays. Efficacy, tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics were assessed. Additional key objectives were to characterise the\nexposureââ?¬â??response relationship for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological\nresponse at day 28 post-dose (ACPR28) and to further investigate Kelch13 mutations. Patients in Africa (n = 355) and\nVietnam (n = 82) were included, with 85% of the total population being children < 5 years of age. Results: ACPR28 in the per protocol population (95% confidence interval) was 70.8% (61.13ââ?¬â??79.19), 68.4% (59.13ââ?¬â??76.66)\nand 78.6% (70.09ââ?¬â??85.67) for doses of 800 mg artefenomel with 640 mg, 960 mg and 1440 mg of PQP respectively.\nACPR28 was lower in Vietnamese than in African patients (66.2%; 54.55ââ?¬â??76.62 and 74.5%; 68.81ââ?¬â??79.68) respectively.\nWithin the African population, efficacy was lowest in the youngest age group of ââ?°Â¥ 0.5 to ââ?°Â¤ 2 years, 52.7% (38.80ââ?¬â??66.35).\nInitial parasite clearance was twice as long in Vietnam than in Africa. Within Vietnam, the frequency of the Kelch13\nmutation was 70.1% and was clearly associated with parasite clearance half-life (PCt1/2). The most significant tolerability\nfinding was vomiting (28.8%).\nConclusions: In this first clinical trial evaluating a single encounter antimalarial therapy, none of the treatment arms\nreached the target efficacy of > 95% PCR-adjusted ACPR at day 28. Achieving very high efficacy following single dose\ntreatment is challenging, since > 95% of the population must have sufficient concentrations to achieve cure across a\nrange of parasite sensitivities and baseline parasitaemia levels. While challenging, the development of tools suitable for\ndeployment as single encounter curative treatments for adults and children in Africa and to support elimination\nstrategies remains a key development goal....
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