Alternative Medicine Alert articles from April 2003

Alternative Medicine Alert archives from April 2003

Herb-drug interactions.
April 1, 2003... THE USE OF HERBAL REMEDIES HAS EXPANDED WIDELY IN THE LAST decade. Sales of dietary supplements in the United States doubled every two years between 1991 and 1999. (1) According to the Natural Marketing Institute, a consulting group that...

Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) to treat herpes labialis.
April 1, 2003... MELISSA OFFICINALIS (LEMON BALM)TRADITIONALLY has been used as a carminative for gastrointestinal distress, including flatulence and colic, or as a mild sedative. (1,2) The Greeks and Romans used lemon balm for wound dressings and to treat...

CME questions.
April 1, 2003... CME Instructions: Physicians participate in this continuing medical education program by reading the article, using the provided references for further research, and studying the CME questions. Participants should select what they believe to be...

PUFAs and atherosclerotic plaques. (Clinical Briefs).
April 1, 2003... Source: Thies F, et al. Association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with stability of atherosclerotic plaques: A randomized controlled trial. Lancet 2003;361:477-485. Goal: To ascertain whether incorporation of n-3 and n-6...

Homeopathic arnica and surgery. (Clinical Briefs).
April 1, 2003... Source: Stevinson C, et al. Homeopathic arnica for prevention of pain and bruising: Randomized placebo-controlled trial in hand surgery. J R Soc Med 2003;96:60-65. Goal: To determine whether homeopathic arnica can reduce post-operative...

FDA proposes labeling and manufacturing standards for all dietary supplements.
April 1, 2003... THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) RECENTLY TOOK ACTION TO HELP CONSUMERS get accurately labeled and unadulterated dietary supplements by proposing a new regulation to require current good manufacturing practices (GMPs) in their...