An Analysis of Four Government-Funded Reviews of Research on Homeopathic Medicine.

Homeopathic medicine is a controversial system of medicine that has been used worldwide for over 200 years. Recently, several governments, in part, owing to government-funded reviews of research on homeopathic medicine, have stopped reimbursements for homeopathic medicines and have discouraged their use by medical professionals. This review critically evaluates four government-funded reviews of clinical research on homeopathic medicine. An analysis of government-sponsored reviews of clinical research on homeopathic medicine was conducted, including two studies from Switzerland, one from England, and one from Australia. Three of the four government-funded reviews were critical of homeopathy, claiming that there was no reliable evidence that homeopathic medicines were effective. Three of these reviews had significant flaws, with potential ethical concerns raised in one of the reviews. The most comprehensive review of homeopathic research, including analysis of clinical and basic science concerns, found the most positive results for homeopathy.

Exploring Possible Mechanisms of Hormesis and Homeopathy in the Light of Nanopharmacology and Ultra-High Dilutions.

Serially diluted succussed solutions of a suitable drug/toxic substance can exhibit physicochemical and biological properties even far beyond Avogadro's limit defying conventional wisdom. They can show hormesis, and homeopathy uses them as medicines. Many studies confirm that they can have an impact on gene expression different than controls. Water in the exclusion zone phase can have memory but for a short period. However, the nanoparticle as the physical substrate can hold information. Nanoparticle and exclusion zone duo as nanoparticle-exclusion zone shell can provide a prolonged memory. The Nanoparticle-Exclusion Zone Shell Model may be an important step toward explaining the nature and bioactivity of serially diluted succussed solutions used as homeopathic medicines. This model may also provide insight into the workings of hormesis. Hormesis is the primary phenomenon through which homeopathic phenomenon may have evolved exhibiting the principle of similars. Hahnemann exploited it to establish homeopathy. The nanoparticle-exclusion zone shells present in the remedy, selected on the principle of similars, can be patient-specific nanoparticles in a symptom syndrome-specific manner. They can carry the drug-specific information for safer clinical applications in an amplified form for high yielding. It suggests homeopathy is a type of nanopharmacology.

Evidencia Científica para la Medicina Homeopática / Scientific Evidence for Homeopathic Medicine

Aunque muchos médicos convencionales expresan dudas sobre la eficacia de la Homeopatía y muchos escépticos tienen la idea de que no existen estudios científicos que sustenten al método médico clínico terapéutico configurado por Samuel Hahnemann, la cantidad de investigaciones sobre la acción y efectividad de los medicamentos homeopáticos es considerable y se encuentra en crecimiento. En efecto, las evidencias son cada vez más difíciles de ignorar, ya que se sustentan en metodologías adecuadas y los investigadores tienen mayor interés en mostrar sus resultados a través de revistas especializadas. Toda esta información está disponible para médicos, comunidad científica y público en general, pero a menudo se ignora, no se difunde o no se explica adecuadamente. Sin ser una revisión exhaustiva, este artículo ayuda a llenar este vacío, ya que presenta un resumen con algunos de los mejores estudios que se han realizado para comprobar el efecto de los medicamentos homeopáticos y el proceso de curación, con la particularidad de que la mayoría de ellos ha aparecido en publicaciones médicas y científicas convencionales.

A review of homeopathic research in the treatment of respiratory allergies.

There are conceptual and historical links between homeopathic medicine and modern allergy desensitization treatment. Conventional allergy desensitization and homeopathic treatment both utilize small doses of substances that might cause symptoms in order to prevent or treat a hypersensitive state. Homeopathy has historically been associated with allergy treatment. This article reviews evidence from controlled trials for the use of homeopathy in respiratory allergies. Several clinical trials, many of which were published in "high impact" conventional medical journals, describe significant effects of homeopathic treatment in allergic patients. Most of these clinical studies have been deemed to be high quality trials, according to the three most commonly referenced meta-analyses of homeopathic research. Basic in vitro experimental studies also provide evidence that the effects of homeopathy differ from placebo.

The curious case of charles darwin and homeopathy.

In 1849, Charles Darwin was so ill that he was unable to work one out of every 3 days, and after having various troubling symptoms for 2-12 years, he wrote to a friend that he was 'going the way of all flesh'. He sought treatment from Dr James Manby Gully, a medical doctor who used water cure and homeopathic medicines. Despite being highly skeptical of these treatments, he experienced a dramatic improvement in his health, though some of his digestive and skin symptoms returned various times in his life. He grew to appreciate water cure, but remained skeptical of homeopathy, even though his own experiments on insectivore plants using what can be described as homeopathic doses of ammonia salts surprised and shocked him with their significant biological effect. Darwin even expressed concern that he should publish these results. Two of Darwin's sons were as incredulous as he was, but their observations confirmed the results of his experiments. Darwin was also known to have read a book on evolution written by a homeopathic physician that Darwin described as similar to his own but 'goes much deeper.'

A review of a historical summit on integrative medicine.

The US Institute of Medical sponsors a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public" on February 25-27, 2009. A prestigious body of speakers and attendees created a dynamic conference in which the content and discussions provided vital information for transforming the US health care system. Topics included: patient-centered care, the scientific basis of integrative medicine, health care financing reform and value-driven care, and mind-body relationships and health.

Evaluacion de ensayos clinicos controlados con tratamiento homeopatico de enfermos con el Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana o Sindrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida / Controleds clinical trials evaluation of homeopathic treatment in AIDS patients

La historia de la homeopatia en epidemias, la investigacion que sugiere su accion inmunomoduladora y la investigacion clinica en pacientes seropositivos o con SIDA, muestra que su accion benefica...

Evaluacion de ensayos clinicos controlados con tratamiento homeopatico de enfermos con el Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana o Sindrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida / Controleds clinical trials evaluation of homeopathic treatment in AIDS patients

La historia de la homeopatia en epidemias, la investigacion que sugiere su accion inmunomoduladora y la investigacion clinica en pacientes seropositivos o con SIDA, muestra que su accion benefica... (AU)

Evaluación de ensayos clínicos controlados con tratamiento homeopático de enfermos con el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana o síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida / Assessment of controlled clinical trials of homeopathic treatment of patients with human the inmunodeficiency virus or the acquired inmunodeficiency syndrome

La homeopatía es un sistema médico que emplea específicamente una farmacología en dosis ultramoleculares para fortalecer el sistema inmune en vez de atacar directamente a los agentes microbianos. Se revisó la literatura indexadas en MEDLINEtm y en revistas homeopáticas no idexadas, ensayos clínicos controlados contra placebo que emplearon medicinas homeopáticas en el tratamiento del SIDA o en seropositivos para el virus de inmunodeficiencia humano (VIH). Se identificaron un total de cinco ensayos clínicos controlados: un estudio doble-ciego controlado contra placebo fue realizado con 50 sujetos (VIH) positivos asintomáticos (etapa II) y 50 sujetos con lifadenopatía generalizada persistente (etapa III) en quienes se proporcionó tratamiento homeopático individualizado con un solo remedio. Se detectó otra investigación preliminar independiente con dosis homeopáticas de factores de crecimiento. Dos estudios aleatorios doble-ciego controlados contra placebo con un total de 77 personas con SIDA quienes usaron solamente terapias naturales durante 8 a 16 semanas. Dos estudios más se efectuaron durante un período de 2.5 años con 27 sujetos siguiendo un formato de código abierto. Como resultados, en el primer estudio, no encontró mejoría estadísticamente en linfocitos T CD4, pero hubo resultados pre-prueba y post prueba estadísticamente significativos en sujetos con SIDA en etapa III, tanto en el conteo para CD4 (p= 0.008) como para CD8 (p= 0.04). En el segundo grupo se hallaron mejorías en parámetros físicos, inmunológicos, neurológicos, metabólicos y de calidad de vida específicos, incluyendo aumento en el conteo de linfocitos y reducción en la carga viral de HIV. En vista del número creciente de personas con infección VIH, la homeopatía puede jugar un papel útil como terapia adjunta y/o alternativa

Controlled clinical trials evaluating the homeopathic treatment of people with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

CONTEXT: Homeopathic medicine developed significant popularity in the nineteenth century in the United States and Europe as a result of its successes treating the infectious disease epidemics during that era. Homeopathic medicine is a medical system that is specifically oriented to using nanopharmacologic and ultramolecular doses of medicines to strengthen a person's immune and defense system rather than directly attacking the microbial agents. OBJECTIVES: To review the literature referenced in MEDLINE and in nonindexed homeopathic journals for placebo-controlled clinical trials using homeopathic medicines to treat people with AIDS or who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and to consider a different theoretical and methodological approach to treating people with the viral infection. FINDINGS: A total of five controlled clinical trials were identified. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 50 asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects (stage II) and 50 subjects with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (stage III) in whom individualized single-remedy homeopathic treatment was provided. A separate body of preliminary research was conducted using homeopathic doses of growth factors. Two randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies were conducted with a total of 77 people with AIDS who used only natural therapies over a 8-16-week period. Two other studies were conducted over a 2.5-year period with 27 subjects in an open-label format. SETTINGS: The first study was conducted by the Regional Research Institute for Homeopathy in Mumbai, India, under the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The second body of studies was conducted in clinic settings in California, Oregon, Arizona, Hawaii, New York, and Washington. RESULTS: The first study found no statistically significant improvement in CD4 T-lymphocytes, but did find statistically significant pretest and post-test results in subjects with stage III AIDS, in CD4 (p = 0.008) and in CD8 (p = 0.04) counts. The second group of studies found specific physical, immunologic, neurologic, metabolic, and quality-of-life benefits, including improvements in lymphocyte counts and functions and reductions in HIV viral loads. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of the growing number of people with drug-resistant HIV infection taking structured treatment interruptions, homeopathic medicine may play a useful role as an adjunctive and/or alternative therapy.