03 May Naturopathic medicine for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: a randomized clinical trial
| MedicalResearch.com eInterview with: Dugald Seely ND, MSc, FABNO Founder & Executive Director; Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre Director; Research & Clinical Epidemiology; Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine Affiliate Investigator; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute 29 Bayswater Ave Ottawa, ON, K1Y 2E5 www.oicc.ca |
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: A significant and measurable reduction in risk of developing cardiovascular disease when naturopathic care is provided alongside conventional care. This is evidenced by a 17% reduction in prevalence of metabolic syndrome and over 3% reduction in the 10-year Framingham cardiovascular risk profile for patients receiving care from a regulated naturopathic doctor in addition to community based care with a general practitioner.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Answer: Not really, considering the application of evidence based strategies to help people lower both weight and stress, consume a healthy diet and take selected natural health products, this is a comprehensive and compelling approach to support health particularly from a cardiovascular perspective.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Answer: Care with a naturopathic doctor may be a safe and effective addition to conventional care when it comes to health promotion and disease prevention with respect to cardiovascular disease. Referral to care with a naturopathic doctor may offer a good option for patients motivated to take better control of their health.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Answer: We need to look at other chronic diseases that are amenable to adjunctive care by naturopathic doctors. Cancer and diabetes are prime examples but there are many health conditions which may be ameliorated through naturopathic medicine. The whole-practice pragmatic research design tells us more about real world effects from using complementary medicine and is an underutilized research design.
Citation:
Naturopathic medicine for the prevention of cardiovascular disease:
a randomized clinical trial
Dugald Seely, Orest Szczurko, Kieran Cooley, Heidi Fritz, Serenity Aberdour, Craig Herrington, Patricia Herman, Philip Rouchotas, David Lescheid, Ryan Bradley, Tara Gignac, Bob Bernhardt, Qi Zhou, and Gordon Guyatt
CMAJ cmaj.120567; published ahead of print April 29, 2013, doi:10.1503/cmaj.120567
Last Updated on November 26, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD