Supplemental Updates: Review of Natural Products and ACP Journal Club
©2009 by Facts and Comparisons, A Wolters Kluwer Company
Authors/Editors: Ara DerMarderosian, PhD & John A. Beutler, PhD
As natural products continue to rise in popularity, there is an increased need for unbiased, accurate, scientifically based information on these products. The Review of Natural Products, already well established and highly regarded as a publication to meet this need, has been revised significantly to prove even more useful to health care professionals. Clinical information has been added and highlighted in all of the monographs so users can find critical information quickly.
The editors, contributing editors, and advisory panel have extensive experience in the field of natural product pharmacy and medicine. The Review of Natural Products includes more than 300 monographs and is updated monthly. Each monograph features scientific names, common names, botan or source, history, chemistry, uses and pharmacology, dosing, pregnancy/lactation, interactions, adverse reactions, toxicology, and references. A "Clinical Overview" box at the beginning of each monograph summarizes the use, dosing, contraindication, pregnancy/lactation, interaction, adverse reaction, and toxicology information.
What's New in January 2010:
NEW MONOGRAPHS
ARNICA
Scientific Name(s): Arnica montana L. In addition, other related species have been used medicinally including Arnica sororia Greene, Arnica fulgens Pursh., Arnica cordifolia Hook., Arnica chamissonis subsp. foliosa (Nutt.) Maguire. Family: Asteraceae (daisies)
Common Name(s): Arnica flos, Leopard's bane, mountain snuff, mountain tobacco, sneezewort
Uses: Arnica and its extracts have been widely used in folk and homeopathic medicine as a treatment for acne, boils, bruises, rashes, sprains, pains, and other wounds. Overall, there does not appear to be sufficient evidence to support the use of arnica as an anti-inflammatory or analgesic agent, or to prevent bruising; however, heterogeneity of doses and delivery forms (as well as indications) in available clinical studies makes generalizations difficult.
ASPARAGUS
Scientific Name(s): Asparagus officinalis L. Family: Liliaceae
Common Name(s): Asparagus-P, garden asparagus
Uses: Asparagus stalks are commonly eaten as a vegetable. Roots, seeds, and extracts have been used as a treatment for various illnesses and as a diuretic, despite the lack of clinical evidence. Other species, such as Asparagus racemosus, are used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine systems.
LENTINAN
Scientific Name(s): Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler. Family: Tricholomataceae
Common Name(s): Shiitake, snake butter, pasania fungus, forest mushroom, hua gu . (Also found in Selected Vegetables and Sun's Soup, which are promoted for cancer and HIV therapy.) Synonyms include Cortinellus edodes, Armillaria edodes, Cortinellus shiitake, and Tricholomopsis edodes .
Uses: Lentinan is used widely in Japan and China as an adjuvant to cancer chemotherapy. It is also used for upregulating the immune system; however, the number of quality clinical trials and studies published in English language, peer-reviewed journals is limited.
SAFFRON
Scientific Name(s): Crocus sativus L. Family: Iridaceae
Common Name(s): Saffron, za'faran
Uses: Saffron has widespread traditional uses. It has demonstrated efficacy in mild to moderate depression; however, a limited number of quality clinical trials exist. Potential exists for a role in the treatment of cancer and age-related macular degeneration.
©2009 by the American College of Physicians
Authors/Editors: Brian Haynes, MD, PhD
ACP Journal Club, published by the American College of Physicians, is the quintessential EBM journal, and is often positioned near the top of the EBM pyramid.
The combination of ACP Journal Club and PIER provides us with the potential to deliver an EBM product that is superior to competitive offerings. ACP Journal Club is published 6 times per year.
Purpose of ACP Journal Club: "ACP Journal Club's general purpose is to select from the biomedical literature articles that report original studies and systematic reviews that warrant immediate attention by physicians attempting to keep pace with important advances in internal medicine. These articles are summarized in value-added abstracts and commented on by clinical experts."
What's New: December 2009 - Volume 151, Number 6
Therapeutics
Ticagrelor was more effective than clopidogrel, with no increase in major bleeding in acute coronary syndromes
A Mediterranean-style diet reduced need for glucose-lowering drugs more than a low-fat diet in type 2 diabetes
Human papillomavirus 16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine prevented cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in young women
Review: Pregabalin reduces chronic neuropathic pain in adults
Vertebroplasty was not effective for painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures
PET plus CT was better than conventional methods for correctly upstaging early NSCLC
Screening with spiral CT did not reduce lung cancer mortality in older male smokers
Diagnosis
Sensitive cardiac troponin assays were more accurate than a standard troponin assay for early diagnosis of AMI
Etiology
Anemia was independently associated with mortality in very old persons
Continuous androgen-deprivation therapy increased risk for diabetes and fragility fractures in older men with prostate cancer
SSRIs in early pregnancy were associated with increased risk for septal heart defects but not major congenital malformations overall
Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite, trichrome stain
