title: Complementary and alternative medicine use amongst Palestinian diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the frequency of herbal medicine use among patients with diabetes mellitus in Palestine; to determine demographic characteristics that may increase the likelihood of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use and to find out how benefits, if any, were perceived by patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of patients attending the outpatient diabetes departments at 7 Governmental Hospitals. The method was based on semi-structured questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1883 patients with diabetes were interviewed. Of the participants, 51.9% (n = 977) reported taking herbs primarily bought from Palestine (98%) and used in crude form mainly as decoctions (44.1%). The five most common herbal products used were: Trigonella berythea (Fabaceae) (n = 191, 19.6%), Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae) (n = 132, 13.5%), Olea europaea (Oleaceae) (n = 131, 13.4%), Teucrium capitatum (Lamiaceae) (n = 111, 11.4%), and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Lauraceae) (n = 105, 10.8%). Most CAM users were above 40 years old 79.6% (n = 778), predominantly female (53.2%) and residents of refugee camps and rural areas (59.3, and 53.5, respectively). The recommendations of a family member or friend was the main factor prompting the use of CAM (40.2 and 37.1%). Most CAM users (71.7%) were satisfied with the perceived effects. Interestingly, 68% of patients recruited in the study did not disclose CAM use to their physicians or pharmacists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of herbal therapies in diabetes is highly prevalent in Palestine. More than 70% of those using CAM (977, 51.9%) reported positive benefits including a feeling of slowing down disease progression, symptom relief, disease resolution or a reduction in the side effects of allopathic medication. Use of CAM should be explored with patients before clinical decisions are made. There is a need for health education relating to herbal use in conjunction with conventional medicines in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity & Environmental Research Center, BERC, Til, Nablus, Palestine, Israel. msshtayeh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mohammed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ali-Shtayeh
authors.forename: Rana M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jamous
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jamous
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018912:Arabs; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012036:Refugees; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts