title: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among hypertensive patients in Palestine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the frequency of CAM use among hypertensive patients in Palestine, determine demographic characteristics that may increase the likelihood of CAM use and to find out how benefits were perceived by patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Across-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient hypertension clinics. The method was based on a semi-structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 4575 hypertensive patients interviewed, 85.7% respondents used at least one type of CAM. Of the 3921 CAM users, 62.13% reported taking herbs. Most of these users were >50 years old, of low educational level, and had a family history of HTN, 62.9% claimed to have obtained the desired effect from taking these herbs; however, 68.1% did not disclose this fact to their health care providers, 83 plant taxa were reported by these patients, Allium sativum was the most commonly used herb.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of CAM, particularly herbal therapies for hypertension treatment, is highly prevalent in Palestine.
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity & Environmental Research Center - BERC, Til, Nablus, Palestine. Electronic address: 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
authors.forename: Nihaya M Y
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Salameh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D018912:Arabs; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine; Herbal medicine; Herb–drug interactions; Hypertension; Palestine