Estudo piloto comparativo dos efeitos de placebo e medicação homeopática sobre os níveis pressóricos de pacientes hipertensos / Pilot comparative study of the placebo effects and homoeopathic drugs, on the pressure levels of high blood pressure patients
The authors performed a pilot study at the São Paulo Medical Homeopathic Association to investigate the effects of placebo and homeopathic treatment on the blood pressure of patients with idiopathic hypertension. We analyzed 19 patients concomitantly using or not antihypertensive agents, 14 females, with average age 53 years old, and 5 males, with average age 44 years old. One single homeopathic drug was selected as per the total set of characteristic symptoms, and prescribed in dilutions 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C, in repeated doses, twice per day, over 4 weeks each. All the patients previously received placebo over 4 weeks (washout). We found significant effect of homeopathic treatment, however, only for the best individual dilution, in addition to the individualization of the prescribed drugs. The authors finally make some considerations relative to future studies. (au)