The prevalence, awareness and potential of complementary alternative medicine in type 2 diabetics living in Madurai, India

IntroductionThe use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing, especially among patients with diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness and potential effects of CAM use amongst patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsA total of 357 healthy and T2D patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Blood pressure was measured and HbA1c, glucose levels in blood and urine were analyzed.ResultsThe prevalence of CAM usage was 45.4% among the diabetes patients. Of the study population, 91.3% were aware of CAM and reported using both biological and mind body based practices compared to those using CAM as whole medical system. Family members were the major reason patients chose CAM (55.6%) and 54.9% of the CAM users reported their satisfaction with results. Better glycemic control was observed in CAM users (p < 0.01) when compared to non-CAM users.ConclusionThe present study suggests that CAM may play a role in improving glycemic control for T2D and recommends further in depth studies among T2D patients which may help to improve their health outcomes.