The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders

Background and Aims. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but evidence about its real-life use is limited. We aimed to assess and compare CAM use in outpatients with IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases. Materials and...

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Main Authors: Anna Fábián, Mariann Rutka, Tamás Ferenci, Renáta Bor, Anita Bálint, Klaudia Farkas, Ágnes Milassin, Kata Szántó, Zsuzsanna Lénárt, Ferenc Nagy, Zoltán Szepes, Tamás Molnár
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Gastroenterology Research and Practice
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/9137805
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author Anna Fábián
Mariann Rutka
Tamás Ferenci
Renáta Bor
Anita Bálint
Klaudia Farkas
Ágnes Milassin
Kata Szántó
Zsuzsanna Lénárt
Ferenc Nagy
Zoltán Szepes
Tamás Molnár
author_facet Anna Fábián
Mariann Rutka
Tamás Ferenci
Renáta Bor
Anita Bálint
Klaudia Farkas
Ágnes Milassin
Kata Szántó
Zsuzsanna Lénárt
Ferenc Nagy
Zoltán Szepes
Tamás Molnár
author_sort Anna Fábián
collection DOAJ
description Background and Aims. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but evidence about its real-life use is limited. We aimed to assess and compare CAM use in outpatients with IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases. Materials and Methods. The use of herbs and botanicals, lifestyle modifications and mind/body therapies, patient satisfaction, and continuous use of conventional medicine were assessed with an anonymous questionnaire at a tertiary IBD unit in Hungary. 396 IBD patients (207 with Crohn’s disease, 185 with ulcerative colitis, and 4 with indeterminate colitis) and 164 patients with gastric acid-related diseases, premalignant and malignant colorectal diseases, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, dysbacteriosis, and so on were included. Results. IBD patients reported significantly lower usage of herbs than did controls (25% versus 42%, p<0.001). More than 90% of responding IBD patients continued conventional medication besides herbal remedies (83% in unaltered doses). IBD patients were more likely to implement lifestyle modifications (77% versus 63%, p=0.0011), but not body/mind therapies (20% versus 15%, p=0.1516). Younger age was a significant predictor of lifestyle modifications (p=0.0246). Conclusions. CAM use (especially that of herbal remedies) in IBD is less frequent than that in other gastrointestinal diseases. It is more a complementary than an alternative to conventional medicine in IBD. There is no significant difference between CAM use in patients with Crohn’s disease and that in patients with ulcerative colitis, although the latter tend to choose herbs; the benefit of which is supported by scientific evidence. This study is registered at the Medical Research Council, Hungary. This trial is registered with 3769/2010/1018EKU.
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spelling doaj-art-ae6dc053aec94f49b4e45917479b86ab2025-08-20T02:23:35ZengWileyGastroenterology Research and Practice1687-61211687-630X2018-01-01201810.1155/2018/91378059137805The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal DisordersAnna Fábián0Mariann Rutka1Tamás Ferenci2Renáta Bor3Anita Bálint4Klaudia Farkas5Ágnes Milassin6Kata Szántó7Zsuzsanna Lénárt8Ferenc Nagy9Zoltán Szepes10Tamás Molnár11First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryJohn von Neumann Faculty of Informatics, Óbuda University, Bécsi út 96b, Budapest 1034, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryFirst Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged 6720, HungaryBackground and Aims. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but evidence about its real-life use is limited. We aimed to assess and compare CAM use in outpatients with IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases. Materials and Methods. The use of herbs and botanicals, lifestyle modifications and mind/body therapies, patient satisfaction, and continuous use of conventional medicine were assessed with an anonymous questionnaire at a tertiary IBD unit in Hungary. 396 IBD patients (207 with Crohn’s disease, 185 with ulcerative colitis, and 4 with indeterminate colitis) and 164 patients with gastric acid-related diseases, premalignant and malignant colorectal diseases, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, dysbacteriosis, and so on were included. Results. IBD patients reported significantly lower usage of herbs than did controls (25% versus 42%, p<0.001). More than 90% of responding IBD patients continued conventional medication besides herbal remedies (83% in unaltered doses). IBD patients were more likely to implement lifestyle modifications (77% versus 63%, p=0.0011), but not body/mind therapies (20% versus 15%, p=0.1516). Younger age was a significant predictor of lifestyle modifications (p=0.0246). Conclusions. CAM use (especially that of herbal remedies) in IBD is less frequent than that in other gastrointestinal diseases. It is more a complementary than an alternative to conventional medicine in IBD. There is no significant difference between CAM use in patients with Crohn’s disease and that in patients with ulcerative colitis, although the latter tend to choose herbs; the benefit of which is supported by scientific evidence. This study is registered at the Medical Research Council, Hungary. This trial is registered with 3769/2010/1018EKU.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/9137805
spellingShingle Anna Fábián
Mariann Rutka
Tamás Ferenci
Renáta Bor
Anita Bálint
Klaudia Farkas
Ágnes Milassin
Kata Szántó
Zsuzsanna Lénárt
Ferenc Nagy
Zoltán Szepes
Tamás Molnár
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
Gastroenterology Research and Practice
title The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
title_full The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
title_fullStr The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
title_full_unstemmed The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
title_short The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Is Less Frequent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Than in Patients with Other Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
title_sort use of complementary and alternative medicine is less frequent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease than in patients with other chronic gastrointestinal disorders
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/9137805
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