This is a pharmaeconomic study to assess the impact of different, cost-specific pharmacological strategies on the recurrence rate of prescriptions in the treatment of cold symptoms. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort study reporting individual prescriptions histories of subjects experiencing cold symptoms, obtained by a stratified random sample of 316 subjects, clustered into 139 Ital...

CONTEXT Allergies are the most common immunologic diseases among the general population. Increasing evidence suggests that the incidence of allergic disorders is rising dramatically. Conventional medicine provides only limited relief and does not offer a complete cure to this health problem. Consequently, patients seek additional approaches and therapies to integrate into their healthcare. Home...

Hyperuricemia plays a significant role in the development and pathogenesis of several metabolic systemic disorders including syndrome, hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis. In stage asymptomatic hyperuricemia, people may not experience any symptoms is prior to first attack, but crystals get deposited around joint slowly. Pharmacologic treatment for hyperuricemia carries some risks considered b...

BACKGROUND Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are very common and associated with considerable healthcare costs. We evaluated the clinical benefit of a homeopathic add-on therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this randomized controlled multinational clinical trial, patients (age range 1-65 years) with feverish URTI received either on-demand symptomatic standard treatment (ST group: paraceta...

INTRODUCTION Two cases of viral hepatitis that had failed conventional therapy are presented. Both were subsequently treated with protocols using homeopathic medicines as detailed below. Both patients sustained remissions for 2 years after taking ultradilute natural medicines after their conventional treatment had been discontinued. METHODS The treatment protocol included Chelidonium majus 6X...

BACKGROUND A rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis focused on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of non-individualised homeopathic treatment has not previously been reported. We tested the null hypothesis that the main outcome of treatment using a non-individualised (standardised) homeopathic medicine is indistinguishable from that of placebo. An additional aim was to quantify any condi...

BACKGROUND One of the cardinal principles of homeopathy is the "law of similarities", according to which patients can be treated by administering substances which, when tested in healthy subjects, cause symptoms that are similar to those presented by the patients themselves. Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of pre-clinical (in vitro and animal) studies aimed at ...

Having considered the limitations and the challenges of homeopathic treatments one would wonder if this modality is just another manifestation of the placebo response. Thus, subjecting homeopathic remedies to the same rigors of testing as those of pharmaceuticals through placebo-controlled clinical trials (RCT) would imply testing a placebo form against another. The responses observed from home...