Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Its Associated Factors among Iranian Diabetic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and its associated factors among diabetic patients in Fasa, a city in southern Iran. Methods: Data were collected from diabetic patients who visited the endocrinology clinics at Fasa University of Medical Sciences. A structured questionnaire was administered to gather information on CAM use, including the types of CAM modalities used, and reasons for use. The patient's demographic and clinical characteristics, such as age, gender, duration of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and quality of life (QoL) were also recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of CAM use, while logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with CAM use. Results: A total of 376 diabetic patients participated in the study, with more than 89% reporting CAM use within the past year. Herbal preparations were the most commonly used type of CAM, with a prevalence rate of 99.4%. Factors associated with CAM use included patients' psychological health, attitude towards the safety of CAM, belief in the synergistic effects of combining routine medications with CAM, and previous positive experiences with CAM. Conclusion: The high prevalence of CAM use highlights the importance of considering it in diabetes management and the need for healthcare professionals' engagement in open discussions with patients about their CAM practices. Understanding the factors influencing CAM use can inform healthcare providers and policymakers in developing appropriate strategies for integrating CAM approaches into conventional diabetes care.

The Protective Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Rosa canina (Dog Rose) Fruit on Liver Function and Structure in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes in Rats.

This study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of Rosa canina (R. canina) extract on streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetes in rats by measuring the fasting blood glucose (FBG), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and liver enzyme activity, including serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups and treated daily for 42 days as follows: group I (control) received saline as a vehicle; group II (diabetic) received saline; groups III and IV (diabetic) treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (BW) per day R. canina extract, respectively. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal (IP) injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg BW). At the end of the study, blood samples were collected via heart puncture and sera were used for estimation of the mentioned parameters. Then all the rats were sacrificed and their livers used for histopathological evaluations. In the untreated diabetic group, the results showed a significant increase in FBG, ALT, and AST levels compared to the other groups (p < .05). The level of TAC decreased in this group, but not significantly compared to the other groups (p > .05). In the treated groups, administration of R. canina extract significantly improved the mentioned parameters in a dose-dependent manner (p < .05). Histological evaluations indicated that R. canina extract ameliorated defective liver caused by STZ. It can be concluded that R. canina extract has a hepatoprotective effect in STZ-induced diabetes in rats.

Combined Administration of Melissa officinalis and Boswellia serrata Extracts in an Animal Model of Memory.

BACKGROUND: Boswellia serrata and Melissa officinalis is traditionally used for its memory enhancing effects. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of combined form of these extracts on memory improvement of scopolamine treated rats by the Morris water maze method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups (group 1 and 2) of animals were pretreated with combined extracts of B. serrata and M. officinalis (200, 400 mg/Kg body weight) for four weeks and then, 30 minutes before starting the experiment scopolamine was injected (0.1 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally to pretreated animals. The control group was the animals that were injected by scopolamine and pre treated with distilled water (group 3). The normal group was treated with distilled water alone (group 4). RESULTS: For time spent and distance, there was no substantial difference between groups 1, 2 and 4, while they had statistical difference with group 3 (P = 0.001). The spatial memory evaluation showed no significant difference between treated groups and normal group. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the combination of the two extracts had the ability to improve memory as its traditional use.

Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Ethanol Extract of Rosa canina L. fruit on Diabetic Rats: An Experimental Study With Histopathological Evaluations.

Rosa canina L. (Rosaceae) has been traditionally used as a medicinal plant. This study was undertaken to evaluate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of Rosa canina fruit extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The results showed oral administration of Rosa canina fruit extract significantly ameliorated the high levels of blood glucose compared with the control group. Serum triglyceride levels significantly decreased by the administration of Rosa canina extract compared with control. Histopathological examinations showed that the Rosa canina extract improved islets necrotic and regenerated pancreatic islet cells. Rosa canina extract has the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The evaluation of increase in hemodialysis frequency on C-reactive protein levels and nutritional status.

Malnutrition and inflammation are the most important causes of cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of increase in hemodialysis frequency on C-reactive protein (CRP) level and nutritional markers in contrast to previous routine method. 18 hemodialysis patients with a mean age of 53±16 years were randomly selected in this before-and-after clinical trial. The patients under a standard hemodialysis of 3 times/4 h per week were converted to 4 times/4 h for a period of 6 weeks. The CRP, albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL serum levels, anthropometric indices and 24-h diet recall intake was assessed before and after of the period. The data were analyzed using paired t-test, and P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. All patients completed the study. Mean weight, body mass index and serum albumin increased while serum CRP level decreased significantly after the intervention (P<0.03). Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, as well as energy, protein and fat intake had no significant change before and after the study. Increase in dialysis frequency decreased systemic inflammation and improved the nutritional state of hemodialysis patients. Therefore, it may decrease the risk of cardiovascular events in these patients.

Iranian medicinal plants for diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.

In the Iranian traditional medicine a significant usage of herbs is promoted for their anti-diabetic activity. The aim of this review to assess the efficacy of glucose lowering effects of medicinal plants cultivated in Iran. An electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library Database, Ebsco and Google Scholar from database inception conducted up to May 2012. A total of 85 studies (18 humans and 67 animals) examining 62 plants were reviewed. The quality of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) assessed by using the Jadad scale. Among the RCTs studies, the best results in glycemic control was found in Aloe vera, Citrullus colocynthus, Plantago ovata, Silybum marianum, Rheum ribes and Urtica dioica. The majority of plants that have been studied for antidiabetic activity showed promising results. However, efficacy and safety of the most plants used in the treatment of diabetes are not sufficient.