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Biomedical subjects

E Ernst

Publications and source records attributed to E Ernst.

864 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
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Research into complementary/alternative medicine: an attempt to dispel the myths.

The high level of popularity of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) renders rigorous research into its efficacy and safety an important task. A House of Lords select committee called for more CAM research and for the establishment of UK centres of excellence to carry it out. In view of the otherwise dire funding situation, this would be a necessary step. This initiative should be complemented by CAM professional bodies setting up their own research budgets. Any central body overseeing CAM research has to be seen to be rigorous and impartial. Strong opinions which often dominate CAM can be a hindrance to good research. Evidence-based CAM should no longer remain a contradiction in terms.

Capital Financing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Exercise: the best therapy for intermittent claudication?

The prophylactic value of physical activity for arteriosclerotic diseases is generally accepted. Regular exercise is also the most effective therapy for intermittent claudication although drug treatment is more popular in general practice. Recent findings show that exercise and drug treatments complement each other.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
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[Decreased blood fluidity in progressive systemic scleroderma].

The aim was to define blood rheology in progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS). 55 patients were compared to controls. Blood and plasma viscosity, hematocrit, red cell aggregation, and deformability were measured. Except for hematocrit, all these variables are significantly altered, indicating a loss of blood fluidity in PSS. Drugs had no obvious effect on blood rheology, but the clinical picture did. The loss of blood fluidity in PSS is suggested to play a pathophysiological role in the initiation of Raynaud phenomena, from which all patients suffered.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemorheologic changes in chronic polyarthritis].

The haemorheological status of plasma-(P eta) and blood-viscosity (B eta), erythrocyte aggregation (EA) and erythrocyte filterability (EF), blood sedimentation rate (BSG), haematocrit (HCT), plasma fibrinogen and alpha-2-macroglobulin was investigated on 46 patients suffering from chronic polyarthritis (c.P.). The results were compared with those from a control group of 20 healthy subjects with a similar distribution of age and sex. All the haemorheological data from the c.P. patients showed a significantly decreased blood fluidity (p less than or equal to 0.001 or p less than or equal to 0.01). These differences were highly significant for the female patients (n = 29), but for the men (n = 17) only at slight shift was seen. The comparison of clinically acute and non-acute disease in the patients showed a significant worsening of P eta, B eta and EF during the acute state, while the EA remained unaffected. The limited blood fluidity is seen as a result of the basic illness. At present, the pathophysiological meaning of these findings is still hypothetical: further investigations are required.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Therapeutic defibrinogenation in peripheral vascular disease.

Despite considerable uncontrolled clinical data implying a beneficial effect of defibrinogenation in peripheral vascular disease, this is not supported by double blind placebo controlled trials. A hypothetical explanation for this discrepancy is developed from experimental studies suggesting that in the absence of adequate shear forces defibrinogenation might induce occlusion of the impaired microcirculation and therefore can lead to an aggravation of tissue hypoxia.

Ancrod↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemorheologic changes in ankylosing spondylitis].

In nineteen patients with a definite ankylosing spondylitis haemorheological parameters were measured: serum, plasma and whole blood viscosity, haematocrit, red cell flexibility and aggregation, fibrinogen and ESR. Compared to matched controls these variables were significantly altered in patients. The pathophysiological meaning of this finding is as yet unclear and needs further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Complementary medicine--the case for dialogue.

Complementary medicine (CM) is popular with patients but physicians do not feel at ease with this situation and some fear that the patient might be the loser. Their fear is based on the perception that some CM practitioners have dubious qualifications and competence and that too little is known about the efficacy and safety of many complementary therapies. It follows that, in the interest of the patient and all other parties involved, we urgently need more and better research to fill the void. Integration of complementary medicine into mainstream care requires a minimum of essential evidence. As in all areas of medicine, there can be no short cut to rigorous research.

Complementary Therapies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risks and benefits of vegetarianism.

Over the course of the BSE crisis, vegetarianism has become much more popular. This article reviews the benefits and risks of vegetarianism. On balance, it seems that eating less meat is good advice; however, strict forms of vegetarianism are not entirely free of risks.

Anemia↗