Impact of Homeopathic Treatment on the Quality of Life of Women with Chronic Diseases: A Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing demand for complementary and integrative medicine, only a few studies have evaluated the effect of these types of treatments on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the QoL of women treated with homeopathy within the Public Health System of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHODS: This is a prospective randomized controlled pragmatic trial. The patients were divided into two independent groups, one group underwent homeopathic treatment in the first 6-month period and the other did not receive any homeopathic treatment. In both randomized groups, patients maintained their conventional medical treatment when necessary. The World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) was used for QoL analysis prior to treatment and 6 months later. RESULTS: Randomization afforded similar baseline results in three domains of QoL analysis for both groups. After 6 months' treatment, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in the physical domain of WHOQOL-BREF: the average score improved to 63.6 ± (SD) 15.8 in the homeopathy group, compared with 53.1 ± (SD) 16.7 in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Homeopathic treatment showed a positive impact at 6 months on the QoL of women with chronic diseases. Further studies should be performed to determine the long-term effects of homeopathic treatment on QoL and its determinant factors.

Relato de experiência do uso de medicamentos homeopáticos para profilaxia de dengue em Belo Horizonte -MG no ano de 2010 / Report on the use of homeopathic medication in the prophylaxis of dengue in Belo

Diante da possibilidade de uma epidemia de dengue em Belo Horizonte em função do Levantamento do Índice Rápido de Aedes aegypti (LIRAa) de 2,2% em outubro de 2009, foi proposta pelo Programa de Homeopatia, Acupuntura e Medicina Antroposófica (PRHOAMA) do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)-BH, profilaxia homeopática para a dengue em 2010. A escolha do medicamento baseou-se, principalmente, na dissertação “Homeopatia em saúde coletiva: contribuição ao estudo de epidemias”, sendo assim utilizado o complexo Eupatorium perfoliatum 30 cH, Phosphorus 30 cH e Crotalus horridus 30 cH. Foi definido um “dia D”, 6 de março de 2010, um sábado, para o início da oferta em livre demanda desta medicação nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) com médicos homeopatas e antroposóficos. Em 10 de março, entretanto, a Secretaria Municipal de Saúde determinou que o medicamento homeopático fosse distribuído somente mediante receita médica. Houve grande receptividade à medida na Gerência de Assistência e junto aos gestores dos Distritos Sanitários (DS). Houve grande adesão da população à oferta da medicação. Devido à restrição, foram usadas pouco mais de 51.000 doses (12,75%), das 400.000 adquiridas. Ainda assim, algumas UBS conseguiram uma cobertura próxima da referenciada (40% da sua população). Destaca-se, na relação doses usadas/incidência de casos de dengue entre 1/01/2010 e 1/10/2010, a UBS Pilar, no DS Barreiro, que obteve uma cobertura de 38% de sua população e apresentou a mais baixa incidência de dengue em toda Belo Horizonte, com 11 casos confirmados. No DS Leste, a UBS Boa Vista, com umacobertura de 37,5%, teve a segunda menor incidência, com 81 casos confirmados. Na DS Pampulha, a UBS São Francisco, com uma cobertura de 30%, teve o menor número de casos: 216. Conclui-se que foram obtidas mais evidências da adequação do uso da homeopatia no cuidado preventivo da dengue.

Facing the possibility of an outbreak of dengue in Belo Horizonte as a function of index LIRa (Fast Survey of Aedes aegypti) of 2.2% in October 2009, the Program of Homeopathy, Acupuncture and Anthroposophy (PRHOAMA) of the National Health System (SUS-BH) suggested performing homeopathic prophylaxis of dengue in 2010. The medication was mainly selected based on master dissertation “Homeopathy in collective health: contribution to the study of epidemics”, and thus a complex comprising Eupatorium perfoliatum 30 cH, Phosphorus 30 cH, and Crotalus horridus 30 cH wasused. A “D-day”, Saturday March 6 2010, was establish to start the administration of this medication on free demand at the Basic Health Units (UBS) including homeopathic or antroposophic doctors. On March 10, however, the Municipal Health Secretary ruled that the homeopathic medication could be only delivered with a medical prescription. The campaign was well received by the Assistance Management and by the Sanitary Districts (DS) managers. The population adherence to the medication was high,however, as a function of the administrative restriction, a little more than 51,000 doses (12.75%) from the 400,000 that were purchased were used. Even so, some UBS achieved coverage indices close to the recommended one (40% of the population). In regard to the ratio of doses used to the incidence of cases of dengue between January 1 and October 1 2010, UBS Pilar, at DS Barreiro stands out, since it achieved38% of coverage, and exhibited the lowest incidence of dengue in Belo Horizonte, to a total of 11 confirmed cases. In DS Leste, UBS Boa Vista achieved coverage of 37.5%, and exhibited the second lowest incidence, to a total of 81 confirmed cases. UBS São Francisco achieved 30% of coverage, and exhibited the lowest number of cases (216) at DS Pampulha. We conclude that further evidence was found on the adequacy of homeopathy in the prevention of dengue.

Relato de experiência do uso de medicamentos homeopáticos para profilaxia de dengue em Belo Horizonte -MG no ano de 2010 / Report on the use of homeopathic medication in the prophylaxis of dengue in Belo

Diante da possibilidade de uma epidemia de dengue em Belo Horizonte em função do Levantamento do Índice Rápido de Aedes aegypti (LIRAa) de 2,2% em outubro de 2009, foi proposta pelo Programa de Homeopatia, Acupuntura e Medicina Antroposófica (PRHOAMA) do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)-BH, profilaxia homeopática para a dengue em 2010. A escolha do medicamento baseou-se, principalmente, na dissertação “Homeopatia em saúde coletiva: contribuição ao estudo de epidemias”, sendo assim utilizado o complexo Eupatorium perfoliatum 30 cH, Phosphorus 30 cH e Crotalus horridus 30 cH. Foi definido um “dia D”, 6 de março de 2010, um sábado, para o início da oferta em livre demanda desta medicação nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) com médicos homeopatas e antroposóficos. Em 10 de março, entretanto, a Secretaria Municipal de Saúde determinou que o medicamento homeopático fosse distribuído somente mediante receita médica. Houve grande receptividade à medida na Gerência de Assistência e junto aos gestores dos Distritos Sanitários (DS). Houve grande adesão da população à oferta da medicação. Devido à restrição, foram usadas pouco mais de 51.000 doses (12,75%), das 400.000 adquiridas. Ainda assim, algumas UBS conseguiram uma cobertura próxima da referenciada (40% da sua população). Destaca-se, na relação doses usadas/incidência de casos de dengue entre 1/01/2010 e 1/10/2010, a UBS Pilar, no DS Barreiro, que obteve uma cobertura de 38% de sua população e apresentou a mais baixa incidência de dengue em toda Belo Horizonte, com 11 casos confirmados. No DS Leste, a UBS Boa Vista, com umacobertura de 37,5%, teve a segunda menor incidência, com 81 casos confirmados. Na DS Pampulha, a UBS São Francisco, com uma cobertura de 30%, teve o menor número de casos: 216. Conclui-se que foram obtidas mais evidências da adequação do uso da homeopatia no cuidado preventivo da dengue.(AU)

Facing the possibility of an outbreak of dengue in Belo Horizonte as a function of index LIRa (Fast Survey of Aedes aegypti) of 2.2% in October 2009, the Program of Homeopathy, Acupuncture and Anthroposophy (PRHOAMA) of the National Health System (SUS-BH) suggested performing homeopathic prophylaxis of dengue in 2010. The medication was mainly selected based on master dissertation “Homeopathy in collective health: contribution to the study of epidemics”, and thus a complex comprising Eupatorium perfoliatum 30 cH, Phosphorus 30 cH, and Crotalus horridus 30 cH wasused. A “D-day”, Saturday March 6 2010, was establish to start the administration of this medication on free demand at the Basic Health Units (UBS) including homeopathic or antroposophic doctors. On March 10, however, the Municipal Health Secretary ruled that the homeopathic medication could be only delivered with a medical prescription. The campaign was well received by the Assistance Management and by the Sanitary Districts (DS) managers. The population adherence to the medication was high,however, as a function of the administrative restriction, a little more than 51,000 doses (12.75%) from the 400,000 that were purchased were used. Even so, some UBS achieved coverage indices close to the recommended one (40% of the population). In regard to the ratio of doses used to the incidence of cases of dengue between January 1 and October 1 2010, UBS Pilar, at DS Barreiro stands out, since it achieved38% of coverage, and exhibited the lowest incidence of dengue in Belo Horizonte, to a total of 11 confirmed cases. In DS Leste, UBS Boa Vista achieved coverage of 37.5%, and exhibited the second lowest incidence, to a total of 81 confirmed cases. UBS São Francisco achieved 30% of coverage, and exhibited the lowest number of cases (216) at DS Pampulha. We conclude that further evidence was found on the adequacy of homeopathy in the prevention of dengue.