Traditional medicine users in a treated chronic disease population: a cross-sectional study in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicine (TM) is commonly used as a treatment in Indonesia. This raises the need for an analysis of its potential development and irrational use. Therefore, we analyze the proportion of TM users among chronic disease patients and its associated characteristics to optimize the use of TM in Indonesia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of treated adult chronic disease patients was conducted using the fifth Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS-5) database. Descriptive analysis was used to identify the proportion of TM users, while a multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze their characteristics. RESULTS: This study included 4901 subjects and identified 27.1% as TM users. The highest TM use was in subjects with cancer (43.9%), liver issues (38.3%), cholesterol issues (34.3%), diabetes (33.6%), and stroke (31.7%). Characteristics associated with TM users were a perception of one's current health as unhealthy (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.76-3.81), low medication adherence (OR 2.49, 95% CI 2.17-2.85), age above 65 years (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.63-2.90), having higher education (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.17-2.29), and residence outside of Java (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.11-1.45). CONCLUSIONS: Low medication adherence among TM users highlights the potentially irrational use of treatment in chronic diseases. Nevertheless, the longstanding use of TM users indicates the potential for its development. Further studies and interventions are needed to optimize TM use in Indonesia.

Updates on the Status of Vitamin D as a Risk Factor for Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

To update the guidelines regarding vitamin D status in respiratory distress syndrome, we reviewed recent human and animal studies on the benefits of vitamin D in respiratory distress. We searched PubMed and ProQuest for studies on the use of vitamin D from 2009 to 2017. The common parameters in these studies included the use of lung tissue, phospholipids, blood, and plasma to assess the effects of vitamin D on respiratory syndrome. The metabolized form of vitamin D used in these studies was 1,25(OH)2D3 in animal studies and 25(OH)D in human studies. Vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of respiratory distress syndrome, improves the quality of life, and is relatively effective and safe for preterm neonates as well as during lung maturation. However, although vitamin D supplementation may offer benefits for respiratory distress syndrome, the optimal dosing strategies for specific types of risk factors in the lungs must be clarified to confirm the therapeutic efficacy.