(HealthDay News) – The majority of patients with cardiovascular disease receiving outpatient cardiology evaluations report using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Kavita Prasad, MD, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and colleagues administered a 17-question survey about basic medical information and previous use and interest in the future use of dietary supplements and other CAM interventions among 1,055 patients (655 men; mean age 63.5 years; 98.1% white) undergoing outpatient cardiology evaluation at a tertiary medical center.
The researchers found that 36.8% of participants had cardiac symptoms for more than 10 years and 48.2% had coronary artery disease. CAM therapy use was reported by 82.5% of patients and included dietary supplements (75.4%), chiropractic therapy (31.5%), mind-body therapies (23.9%), and massage (19.2%). For cardiac symptoms, the top four treatments were relaxation techniques, stress management, meditation, and guided imagery. Only 14.4% reported discussing CAM use with their physicians, and almost half (48.6%) reported being interested in participating in a future CAM clinical trial related to their cardiovascular disease.
“In conclusion, research directed with an integrative approach to cardiovascular care might prove beneficial when designing future studies,” the authors write.
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