Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 1997; 2: 196
To show the clinical use of an intervention with several naturopathic modalities for the metabolic syndrome. This was to create hypothesis for controlled studies.
24 in-patients (mean age 50 y, 14 females, 10 males) with metabolic syndrome, defined by the combination of at least mild to severe obesity (grade I through III) and essential hypertension (WHO I to II, mean duration 7.3 y) underwent a well-established therapeutic programme during a 3-week-period of hospital treatment. While making use of energy-reduced diets, hydrotherapy, exercise therapy, relaxation techniques, psychosomatic group therapy and dietary counselling, drug treatment was adjusted by daily doctors’ visits. Treadmill electrocardiography was recorded before therapy and at the end.
The mean body-mass-index decreased significantly from 36.75 kg/m2 to 34.8 kg/m2. While resting blood pressures and pressure-frequency-products did not change significantly (143/90 resp. 141/87 mmHg, e.g. 21024 resp. 20403 mmHg/min at 50 W), there was relevant reduction in anti-hypertensive drug consumption. After 3 and 6 months, favorable outcome was reported by more than one third, measured by lesser drug consumption (10 patients) and/or favorable weight outcome (9 patients).
The intervention was able to reduce the intensity of anti-hypertensive drug-therapy while keeping relevant circulatory data at least constant. Overweight as a further risk factor appeared to be controlled so effectively that a controlled study will now be derived.
