[Integrative Medicine in Chile: Towards a more global vision of people's health]. / Medicina Integrativa en Chile: Hacia una visión más global de la salud de las personas.

The World Health Organization has defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease. Integrative medicine considers the articulation of different medical practices and systems such as mind-body therapies, manual therapies, energy medicine, whole systems and healthy lifestyles, allowing focusing on the cause of diseases and giving concrete tools to focus on the person rather than just the disease. In Chile, the Ministry of Health proposed incorporating alternative and complementary medicines through Decree 42, regulating them as auxiliary to traditional care, the conditions of practice for the exercise of acupuncture, homeopathy, and naturopathy. There are multiple barriers to implementing integrative medicine units, such as the perception that they are expensive and ineffective and, frequently, the resistance of health teams. For its advancement, it is essential to gradually incorporate this discipline in health careers curricula, agree on taxonomies and outcomes, and maintain sight that the core of health care is at the primary level. It is also necessary to generate evidence on the use of integrative medicine, especially at the local level, incorporating its practice more routinely and reporting on its potential adverse effects.

A systematic review of clinical and laboratory findings of lead poisoning: lessons from case reports.

Lead is one of the most toxic heavy metals in the environment. The present review aimed to highlight hazardous pollution sources, management, and review symptoms of lead poisonings in various parts of the world. The present study summarized the information available from case reports and case series studies from 2009 to March 2020 on the lead pollution sources and clinical symptoms. All are along with detoxification methods in infants, children, and adults. Our literature compilation includes results from 126 studies on lead poisoning. We found that traditional medication, occupational exposure, and substance abuse are as common as previously reported sources of lead exposure for children and adults. Ayurvedic medications and gunshot wounds have been identified as the most common source of exposure in the United States. However, opium and occupational exposure to the batteries were primarily seen in Iran and India. Furthermore, neurological, gastrointestinal, and hematological disorders were the most frequently occurring symptoms in lead-poisoned patients. As for therapeutic strategies, our findings confirm the safety and efficacy of chelating agents, even for infants. Our results suggest that treatment with chelating agents combined with the prevention of environmental exposure may be an excellent strategy to reduce the rate of lead poisoning. Besides, more clinical studies and long-term follow-ups are necessary to address all questions about lead poisoning management.

Prevalence of homeopathy use by the general population worldwide: a systematic review.

AIM: To systematically review surveys of 12-month prevalence of homeopathy use by the general population worldwide. METHODS: Studies were identified via database searches to October 2015. Study quality was assessed using a six-item tool. All estimates were in the context of a survey which also reported prevalence of any complementary and alternative medicine use. RESULTS: A total of 36 surveys were included. Of these, 67% met four of six quality criteria. Twelve-month prevalence of treatment by a homeopath was reported in 24 surveys of adults (median 1.5%, range 0.2-8.2%). Estimates for children were similar to those for adults. Rates in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada all ranged from 0.2% to 2.9% and remained stable over the years surveyed (1986-2012). Twelve-month prevalence of all use of homeopathy (purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines and treatment by a homeopath) was reported in 10 surveys of adults (median 3.9%, range 0.7-9.8%) while a further 11 surveys which did not define the type of homeopathy use reported similar data. Rates in the USA and Australia ranged from 1.7% to 4.4% and remained stable over the years surveyed. The highest use was reported by a survey in Switzerland where homeopathy is covered by mandatory health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarises 12-month prevalence of homeopathy use from surveys conducted in eleven countries (USA, UK, Australia, Israel, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Singapore). Each year a small but significant percentage of these general populations use homeopathy. This includes visits to homeopaths as well as purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines.

Geographical and temporal distribution of basic research experiments in homeopathy.

The database HomBRex (Homeopathy Basic Research experiments) was established in 2002 to provide an overview of the basic research already done on homeopathy (http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/hombrex). By this means, it facilitates the exploration of the Similia Principle and the working mechanism of homeopathy. Since 2002, the total number of experiments listed has almost doubled. The current review reports the history of basic research in homeopathy as evidenced by publication dates and origin of publications. In July 2013, the database held 1868 entries. Most publications were reported from France (n = 267), followed by Germany (n = 246) and India (n = 237). In the last ten years, the number of publications from Brazil dramatically increased from n = 13 (before 2004) to n = 164 (compared to n = 251 published in France before 2004, and n = 16 between 2004 and 2013). The oldest database entry was from Germany (1832).

On the history of opium / Z dziejów opium.

Most likely, opium was the first narcotic substance discovered at the dawn of humankind. The history of drug addiction is immensely rich and allows for tracing the long way humankind had to travel to reach the contemporary level of consciousness with respect to narcotic substances. A retrospective view of drug addiction that takes into consideration the historical context, while extending our knowledge, also allows for a better understanding of today's problems. The report presents elements of a retrospective view of problems associated with addiction to opium, morphine and heroin over the centuries, what is a subject of scientific interest in contemporary toxicology.

Opium and cardiovascular health: A devil or an angel?

Opioids have the highest rate of illicit drug consumption after cannabis worldwide. Opium, after tobacco, is still the most commonly abused substance in the Middle East. In addition to the ease of availability, one reason for the high consumption of opium in Asian countries might be a traditional belief among Eastern people and even medical staff that opium may have ameliorating effects on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as well as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Over the last decade, many studies have been performed on humans and animals to evaluate the interplay between opium consumption and stable coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, and atherosclerosis. In this review, we conclude that opium consumption should be considered a risk factor for CVDs. Healthy individuals, as well as cardiac and diabetic patients, should be informed and educated about the hazardous effects of opium consumption on cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Opium, tobacco and alcohol: the evolving legitimacy of international action.

There is a broad consensus that international trade in goods is beneficial, providing of course that it is fair. Yet not all things that are traded are goods. Some can more appropriately be considered as 'bads'. The way things are viewed can change over time. Over a century ago the U.K. fought a war with China for the right to trade in narcotics yet now interdicts such shipments on the high seas. More recently, the international community has agreed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, showing that tobacco is moving from a good to a bad. However, there are other things that are legitimately traded where restrictions may be needed, such as alcohol. Global trade is simply a means to an end. The ultimate goal must include better health for all.