Complementary and alternative medicine use by osteoporotic patients in Australia (CAMEO-A): a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have become increasingly popular and are used regularly by patients with osteoporosis in Australasia and worldwide. This study was done to determine the prevalence and patterns of use of CAM in an Australian osteoporosis clinic.


METHODS
This was a prospective, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 202 patients attending an academic osteoporosis clinic in Sydney, Australia.


RESULTS
Subject had a mean age of 68.5 +/- 10.9 years, 79.7% were female, and 55.9% were born overseas. CAM use was reported by 104 patients (51.5%) using the standard and 62 patients (30.7%) using the stringent definition of CAM. The most frequent CAM were multivitamins (24.0%), acupuncture (19.2%), t'ai chi (14.4%), and yoga (12.5%). Seventy-three percent (73%) did not consult a physician before starting CAM and 23.1% stated that their treating specialists were unaware of CAM use. The most common reasons for using CAM were having a holistic approach (53.0%) and inadequate pain control (29.0%). CAM users were associated with Asian country of birth (23.1% versus 12.2%, p = 0.03), more frequent clinic visits over a 12-month period (1.8 versus 1.5 times, p = 0.03), and a trend for a worse lumbar spine T-score (-2.35 versus -2.20 SD, p = 0.05) and higher rates of university education (26.0% versus 14.3%, p = 0.05). It is estimated that $696 million is spent annually on CAM by patients with osteoporosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients attending osteoporosis clinics frequently use CAM. Physicians may need to routinely inquire about a history of CAM use to ensure better screening for possible adverse clinical interactions.
Mak
Jenson C S
JC
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. jenson.mak@gmail.com
Faux
Steven
S
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001315:Australia; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009819:Office Visits; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000628:therapy*; D059408:Pain Management; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D026302:Tai Ji; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015013:Yoga
D014815:Vitamins