Polycystic ovaries and herbal remedies: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects one in every 15 women worldwide. This disorder is mainly characterized by increased levels of male hormones (androgens), acne, and hirsutism, and can lead to long-term insulin resistance, miscarriage, or even infertility in women. PCOS is a disorder that can be treated with natural and allopathic remedies that work against the PCOS mechanism. The present study reviews previous studies on the treatment of PCOS using natural drugs. METHODS: The data in this study were collected from articles published in reputable databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID in the field of medicinal plants from 1990 to 2021. RESULTS: A review of the literature showed that plants such as aloe vera and chamomile improve fertility by increasing the number of ovarian follicles. Besides, Vitex agnus-castus and octane reduce hirsutism by reducing testosterone and androgen levels. It was also shown that liquorice, ginseng, cinnamon, and de chiro Inositol improve the adverse effects of diabetes caused by PCOS by lowering lipid and blood glucose levels. Moreover, Stachys lavandulifolia and fennel are effective in changing endometrial tissue parameters in PCOS by reducing estrogen and hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Various studies have shown that herbal medicines can improve PCOS symptoms in women with minimal side effects but a longer treatment cycle.

Effect of complementary and alternative medicine interventions on cancer related pain among breast cancer patients: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CAM interventions for cancer-related pain in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE) were searched from January 1, 2000, up to April 31, 2019, using the keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine therapies and cancer related pain. Standard tools were used to evaluate the quality of the studies included. RESULTS: Of the 3742 articles found, 46 articles comprising 3685 participants entered the final phase. Our results indicate that interventions including acupuncture/acupressure, tai chi/qi gong, hypnosis, meditation, music therapy, yoga, massage, reflexology, and Reiki improve cancer-related pain in breast cancer patients. However, aromatherapy had no effect on the same. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the positive effect of various CAM interventions in reducing cancer-related pain, necessary precautions should be adopted to use them alongside other treatments to control cancer pain in the clinical setting.

Caregiver Burden and Spiritual Well-being in Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients.

The number of hemodialysis patients is increasing worldwide, and the caregivers of these patients experience a great burden. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between caregiver burden and spiritual well-being in caregivers of hemodialysis patients in Kerman, Iran. This correlational study was conducted on 382 caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Inventory (24 items) and Ellison and Paloutzian 20-Item Spiritual Well-being Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (t test, ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and linear regression analysis) in SPSS 20 software. The findings showed that 45 (11.8%) caregivers had mild, 214 (56%) moderate, and 123 (32.2%) high caregiver burden. Furthermore, 1 (0.3%) caregiver had mild, 349 (92.4%) moderate, and 32 (8.4%) high spiritual well-being. Also, Spearman correlation test showed a significant reveres relationship between caregiver burden and spiritual well-being scores (p < 0.001, r = - 0.41). Moreover, the results of the regression analysis showed that the patient's income, frequency of patient dialysis per week, and patient's need to receive care and spiritual well-being were predictors of caregiver burden, which explained 41% of the burden in caregivers. The results of this study revealed that spiritual well-being was negatively related to caregiver burden and was one of its predictors. Therefore, spirituality can be used as a low-cost and effective intervention to reduce the caregiver's burden.