Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey

Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula; Rist, Lukas; Dettling, Marcel

doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey
Authors:	Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula Rist, Lukas Dettling, Marcel
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879
Published in:	European Journal of Integrative Medicine
Volume(Issue):	4
Page(s):	172
Pages to:	173
Issue Date:	2012
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	1876-3820 1876-3839
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	610: Medicine and health
Abstract:	Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is very popular in Switzerland. Whether making use of CAM therapies is associated with an altered usage of therapies from conventional medicine is, to date, not precisely known. Aims: The present work aims to quantify how CAM use affects the consumption of conventional medications. Methods: Data from the 2007 Swiss Health Survey were used to define two types of participants: CAM users (those who had used of any of 12 types of CAM during the last 12 months, n = 3333) and non-users (those that stated not having used any of the listed CAM-therapies during the last 12 months, n = 9821). Consumption of several conventional medications as well as demographic parameters, perceived health condition and some lifestyle characteristics were compared between groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of CAM use and to address relevance and magnitude of the differences in medication consumption between CAM users and non-users. Results: The following factors were associated with increased probability of using CAM: younger age, female gender, having French as the national language, high education, lower body mass index (BMI), as well as suffering from migraine, arthritis, allergies or depression. From the multivariate logistic regression models, with which the effects of demographic factors, BMI and perceived health were compensated for, we concluded that CAM users consumed fewer medications for cardiovascular diseases – high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart problems (and diabetes). On the other hand, it was observed that their consumption of analgesics, medications for depression and for constipation (and sedatives) was higher. Conclusions: While suffering from some diseases such as migraine, arthritis, depression and constipation might lead patients both to make use of CAM therapies and to consume more of some conventional medications, this study indicates that people suffering from chronic cardiovascular problems may have benefited from CAM use, as they consumed less conventional medications, even upon compensating for well-known risk factors and with similar rates of high cholesterol and infarction. Given their long intake period and their considerable side effects, the lower consumption of medications for chronic cardiovascular problems by CAM users deserves further investigations.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/21634
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Engineering
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Data Analysis and Process Design (IDP)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Wirksamkeit von Komplementär- und Alternativmedizin
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Engineering

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Simões-Wüst, A. P., Rist, L., & Dettling, M. (2012). Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 4, 172–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879

Simões-Wüst, A.P., Rist, L. and Dettling, M. (2012) ‘Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey’, European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 4, pp. 172–173. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879.

A. P. Simões-Wüst, L. Rist, and M. Dettling, “Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey,” European Journal of Integrative Medicine, vol. 4, pp. 172–173, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879.

SIMÕES-WÜST, Ana Paula, Lukas RIST und Marcel DETTLING, 2012. Medication use by CAM users and non-users : a Swiss cross-sectional survey. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2012. Bd. 4, S. 172–173. DOI 10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879

Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula, Lukas Rist, and Marcel Dettling. 2012. “Medication Use by CAM Users and Non-Users : A Swiss Cross-Sectional Survey.” European Journal of Integrative Medicine 4: 172–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879.

Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula, et al. “Medication Use by CAM Users and Non-Users : A Swiss Cross-Sectional Survey.” European Journal of Integrative Medicine, vol. 4, 2012, pp. 172–73, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2012.07.879.