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Review
. 2017 Jan;34(1):60-77.
doi: 10.1007/s12325-016-0439-x. Epub 2016 Nov 18.

Unproven Therapies for Diabetes and Their Implications

Jothydev Kesavadev  1 , Banshi Saboo  2 , Shaukat Sadikot  3 , Ashok Kumar Das  4 , Shashank Joshi  5 , Rajeev Chawla  6 , Hemant Thacker  7 , Arun Shankar  8 , Lakshmy Ramachandran  8 , Sanjay Kalra  9
Affiliations
Review

Unproven Therapies for Diabetes and Their Implications

Jothydev Kesavadev et al. Adv Ther. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic disease and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Being an ancient disease, many individuals follow complementary and alternative medicinal (CAM) therapies for either the cure or prevention of the disease. The popularity of these practices among the general public is in no way a testimony to their safety and efficacy. Due to the possibility of undesirable interactions with conventional medicines, it is imperative that patients are asked about CAM use during patient assessment. Patient- and physician-targeted awareness programs on various aspects of CAM use must be initiated to create a better understanding of evidence-based use of these practices. In addition, there should be guidelines in place based on clinical trial outcomes, and stricter regulations need to be enforced on CAM practices to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

Keywords: Ayurveda; CAM; Complementary and alternative medicine; Diabetes; Herbal medicine; Supplements; TM; Traditional medicine.

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