Unconventional therapy use among asthma patients in a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Mohamed S Al Moamary, Mohamed S Al Moamary

Abstract

Objectives: Unconventional therapy (UT) is a therapeutic practice of alternative and complementary medicine that is not currently considered an integral part of modern medical practice. The aim of this article is to investigate the experience of Saudi patients with UT modalities in the treatment of asthma.

Materials and methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study of asthma patients referred to King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the year 2004. Information was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire administered through interviews.

Results: Two hundred consecutive patients with a mean age of 52.3 years (+/-18.7) were included in this study. Sixty-nine (34.5%) of those patients used some form of UT in the previous year. There was a tendency to use UT among the older age group (P = 0.029) and among those with longer duration of disease (P = 0.009). However, there was no significant correlation observed between the use of UT and gender, FEV(1), or disease control. The most commonly used form of UT was recitation of Holy Quran (9%), honey (24.5%), herbs (23.5%), cautery (12%), and blackseed (10%). There was no significant correlation between disease control and the use of modalities.

Conclusion: Unconventional therapy is frequently practiced by asthma patients in Saudi Arabia, who commonly believe that UT will lead to improvement. The lack of evidence necessitates the fostering of a national project to address the practice of UT.

Keywords: Asthma; Saudi Arabia; uncontrolled asthma; unconventional therapy.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Use of unconventional therapy among asthma patients categorized based on disease severity index. UT: Unconventional therapy
Figure 2
Figure 2
Use of unconventional therapy among asthma patients categorized based on disease control index. UT: Unconventional therapy

References

    1. Bousquet J, Jeffery PK, Busse WW, Johnson M, Vignola AM. Asthma: From bronchoconstriction to airways inflammation and remodeling. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;161:1720–45.
    1. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. Global initiative for Asthma management (GINA) workshop report. NIH Publication No 02-3659; 2005 update GINA reports. Available from: .
    1. Angesten JM. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of asthma. Adolese Med. 2000;3:535–46.
    1. Lim A, Cranswick N, Skull S, South M. Survey of complementary and alternative medicine use at a tertiary children's hospital. J Pediatr Child Health. 2005;41:424–7.
    1. Ernest E, Resch KL, Mills S. Complementary medicine: A definition. Br J Gen Pract. 1995;45:506.
    1. Ziment I. Recent advances in alternative therapies. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2000;6:71–8.
    1. MacLennan AH, Wilson DH, Taylor AW. Prevalence and cost of alternative medicine in Australia. Lancet. 1996;347:569–73.
    1. Masoli M, Fabian D, Holt S, Beasley R. The Global Initiative for Asthma Management (GINA) Report in the Global Burdens of Asthma 2004. GINA reports. Available from: .
    1. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. Global initiative for Asthma management (GINA) workshop report 2006. GINA reports. Available from: .
    1. American Thoracic Society. Standardization of spirometry. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995;152:1107–36.
    1. Chaudhary SA, Akram M. Weeds of Saudi Arabia and Arabian Peninsula. 1st ed. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Agriculture and Water; 1987.
    1. Chaudhary SA, Al-Jowaid AA. Vegetation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 1st ed. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Agriculature and Water; 1997.
    1. Steurer-Stey C, Russi EW, Steurer J. Complementary and alternative medicine in asthma: Do they work? Swiss Med Wkly. 2002;132:338–44.
    1. Sommer J. Health economic analysis of the effects of including complementary medicine in a the benefit package of health insurance. Forsch Komplementarmed. 1999;6:7–9.
    1. Zimment I. Five thousands years of attacking asthma: An overview. Respir Care. 1986;31:36–44.
    1. Sakula A. A history of asthma: The Fitzpatrick lecture 1987. J R Coll Phys London. 1988;22:36–44.
    1. Ziemment I. Folk medicine in asthma. Am J Asthma Allergy Pediatr. 1992;5:155–61.
    1. Andrews L, Lokuge S, Sawyer M, Lillywhite L, Kennedy D, Martin J. The use of alternative therapies by children with asthma: A brief Report. J Pediatr Child Health. 1998;34:131–4.
    1. Al-Rowai N. Herbal medicine in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Saudi Med J. 2002;23:1327–31.
    1. Ajaji N, Taha AZ, Al-Subaie AG. Prevalence of utilization of native medicine among primary care consumers. Saudi Med J. 1998;19:551–4.
    1. Al-Saeedi M, Elzubier A, Bahnassi K, Al-Dawood K. Patterns of belief and use of traditional remedies by diabetic patients in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. East Mediterr Health. 2003;9 Available from: .
    1. Al-Faris EA. The pattern of alternative medicine use among patients attending health centres in a military community in Riyadh. J Fam Commun Med. 2000;7:17–25.
    1. Ernest E. Complementary/alternative medicine for asthma, we do not know what we need to know. Chest. 1999;115:1–2.
    1. Rajan T, Tennen H, Lindquist R, Cohen L, Clive J. Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002;88:198–203.
    1. Al-Majed AA, Daba MH, Asiri YA, Al-Shabanah OA, Mostafa AA, El-Kashef HA. Thymoquinone-induced relaxation of guinea-pig isolated trachea. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2001;110:333–45.
    1. Gilani AH, Aziz N, Khurram IM, Chaudhary KS, Iqbal A. Bronchodilator, spasmolytic and calcium antagonist activities of Nigella sativa seeds (Kalonji): A traditional herbal product with multiple medicinal uses. J Pak Med Assoc. 2001;51:115–20.
    1. Kalus U, Pruss A, Bystron J, Jurecka M, Smekalova A, Lichius JJ, et al. Effect of Nigella sativa (black seed) on subjective feeling in patients with allergic diseases. Phytother Res. 2003;17:1209–14.
    1. Bara AI, Barley EA. Caffeine for Asthma. The Cochrane Library. 2001 [Last accessed on 2007 Feb 14]
    1. Curatolo PW, Robertson D. The health consequences of caffeine. Ann Intern Med. 1983;98:641–53.
    1. Bogusz MJ, al Tufail M, Hassan H. How natural are ‘natural herbal remedies’? A Saudi perspective. Adverse Drug React Toxicol Rev. 2002;21:219–29.
    1. Ernst E. Complementary therapies in asthma: What patients use. J Asthma. 1998;35:667–71.
    1. Austin JA. Why patients use alternative medicine. JAMA. 1998;279:1548–53.

Source: PubMed

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

3
Subscribe