Complementary and Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

Description

With more than 50% of patients self-medicating today and with the enormous variety of complementary or alternative medicines (CAM) available, it has become imperative for health care providers to be familiar with, and knowledgeable about, these widely used treatments. In Complementary and Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine, academic clinicians, clinical scientists, well-known practitioners of alternative medicine, and authors of popular works on the subject summarize the facts about complementary cardiovascular medications so that physicians can confidently and intelligently advise their patients. The authors comprehensively explain the background for each important alternative therapy, its rationale, the evidence supporting its use, its possible interaction with standard medicines, and, where possible, what is known about its safety and efficacy. The therapies for treating coronary heart disease (CHD) range from the more commonly encountered herbs, vitamins, supplements, and dietary fats and oils, to such less familiar techniques as acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, chelation therapy, meditation, aroma therapy, prayer, and energy therapies. Comprehensive and informative, Complementary and Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine offers traditional health care providers not only a critical introduction to the benefits and risks of CAM therapies in cardiovascular medicine, but also a sound basis for effectively counseling patients about the value and risks of these therapies. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 1-9 History, Regulation, Integrity, and Purity of Herbs and Supplements....Pages 11-25 Botanical Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 27-48 Herb and Dietary Supplement Interactions With Cardiovascular Drugs....Pages 49-58 Vitamin Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 59-71 Oils and Fats in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 73-100 Nutrachemicals in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 101-120 Meditation and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 121-136 Prayer and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 137-151 Massage Therapy and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 153-166 Acupuncture in Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 167-187 Chelation Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 189-200 Energy Medicine, Energy Therapies, and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 201-214 Homeopathy and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 215-237 Aromatherapy and Cardiovascular Disease....Pages 239-254 A Physician’s Guide to CAM and Cardiovascular Disease on the World Wide Web....Pages 255-278 Back Matter....Pages 279-285