Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Mar-Apr;27(2):96-102.
doi: 10.1097/JCN.0b013e31821888cd.

Use of complementary therapies by individuals with or at risk for cardiovascular disease: results of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey

Joel G Anderson  1 , Ann Gill Taylor
Affiliations

Use of complementary therapies by individuals with or at risk for cardiovascular disease: results of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey

Joel G Anderson et al. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2012 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are often used as adjuvants to conventional treatment by individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk factors, such as hypertension and high cholesterol. Patterns of use of CAM practices and products represent important data for health care providers in delivering adequate patient care.

Objective: This study compared CAM use among the US CVD and general population, as well as individuals with CVD risk factors (hypertension and/or high cholesterol), through secondary analyses of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey data.

Methods: The analysis compared use of CAM by individuals with CVD (those individuals self-reporting a diagnosis of coronary heart disease; n = 1055), individuals with CVD risk factors (those individuals self-reporting a diagnosis of hypertension [n = 6849] or high cholesterol [n = 5808]), and individuals who self-report as not having CVD or CVD risk factors (n = 22 290).

Results: Use of complementary practices and products by patients with CVD and CVD risk factors is common and significantly greater than individuals without CVD in the general population. The most common categories of complementary modalities used by individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of CVD or CVD risk factors were natural products and mind-body practices.

Conclusions: The diagnosis of CVD or CVD risk factors may be associated with the use of complementary practices and products.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Wong SS, Nahin RL. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine perspectives for complementary and alternative medicine research in cardiovascular diseases. Cardiol Rev. 2003;11(2):94–98. - PubMed
    1. Singh U, Devaraj S, Jialal I. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation and heart failure. Nutr Rev. 2007;65:286–293. - PubMed
    1. Chagan L, Ioselovich A, Asherova L, Cheng JWM. Use of alternative pharmacotherapy in management of cardiovascular disease. Am J Manag Care. 2002;8:270–285. - PubMed
    1. Walton KG, Fields JZ, Levitsky DK, Harris DA, Pugh ND, Schneider RH. Lowering cortisol and CVD risk in postmenopausal women: a pilot study using the Transcedental Meditation program. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2004;1032:211–215. - PubMed
    1. Taylor-Piliae RE, Haskell WL, Froelicher ES. Hemodynamic responses to a community-based Tai Chi exercise intervention in ethnic Chinese adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2006;5(2):165–174. - PubMed

Publication types