Chinese Medicine in the United States:Historical Development and Growth

Chinese medicine is growing rapidly in the United States both as a field of research and in the daily treatment of illnesses.The popularity of Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,as a healing mechanism demonstrates American people’s positive experience with Chinese medicine and their embracing it as an alternative to the mainstream Western biomedicine.Chinese medicine is an important part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine or Integrated Medicine in the United States health system.It is increasingly used and covered by health insurance.Although Chinese medicine has been in the United States since colonial times,it was discriminated against by local authorities.However,things began to change in the 1970s when individual states gradually passed laws to legalize the practice of acupuncture as a healing mechanism.American public interest in Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,was aroused by the media’s report of the“magic”power of acupuncture during President Nixon’s visit to China.Non-Asians studied acupuncture in the following decades,which contributed to the establishment of acupuncture as a profession in the American health system.The history of Chinese medicine in the United States illustrates that Chinese and Asian immigrants promoted Chinese medicine in the communities,while Chinese American medical scientists who were trained in biomedicine played an important role in shaping the biomedical method of acupuncture research.This article investigates the changes of Chinese medicine in the United States,with a focus on acupuncture.Situating the discussion in a larger context of social and cultural changes,this study examines the contributions of Chinese immigrants and the popularity of acupuncture in the United States.It analyzes the development of acupuncture practice and research,the professional training in Chinese medicine,and American people’s interest in using Chinese medicine as a reliable healing mechanism to many health problems,including chronic pain,cancer,and drug addictions.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in general population during COVID-19 outbreak: A survey in Iran

Objective: Some epidemic diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) have caused many physical, psychological, and social challenges, despite the existence of treatment strategies. Many people are looking for complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) to prevent such diseases. The present study was performed to determine how some types of CAM were being used during the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.Methods: The present study had a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design. All Iranian residents above 17 years old were eligible to participate in the study. A total of 782 participants completed a demographic information questionnaire, a questionnaire about their use of CAMs and a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the CAMs they used. Web-based sampling was conducted from 20 April 2020 to 20 August 2020.Results: Of the participants, 84% used at least one type of CAM during the COVID-19 outbreak. The most used CAMs were dietary supplements(61.3%), prayer(57.9%), and herbal medicines(48.8%). The majority of the participants(50%–66%) have used CAMs to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 or to reduce anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CAM use was associated with sex, having children, place of residence, COVID-19 status, and source of gathering information about CAM(P < 0.05). All 32 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 used at least one type of CAM for treatment or alleviation of the disease symptoms.Conclusion: During the COVID-19 outbreak, some types of CAM, particularly nutritional supplements,medicinal herbs, and prayer, were commonly used to prevent COVID-19 and reduce pandemic-related anxiety.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms

A large number of women will pass through menopause each year. Women in menopausal transition experience a variety of menopausal symptoms. Although hormonal therapy remains the most effective treatment, side effects have been reported by several large studies. An increased number of women seek the use of complementary and alternative medicine （CAM） for treating menopausal symptoms. This review analyzes the evidence from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials and epidemiological studies of using herbal medicine （Black cohosh, Dong quai, St John＇s wart, Hops, Wild yam, Ginseng, and evening primrose oil） and acupuncture for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of most CAM for relief of menopausal symptoms are limited. Future larger and better controlled studies testing the effectiveness of these treatments are needed.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a useful and promising alternative strategy for treatment of Sjogren’s syndrome:A review

Primary Sjogren’s syndrome(p SS)is a chronic autoimmune disease involving exocrine glands.Current studies have found that the occurrence of the disease is closely related to genetic,environmental and neuroendocrine factors,as well as abnormal activation of T and B lymphocytes.The etiology and pathogenesis of p SS is complex,and there is a lack of specific targeted drugs.Traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)have been comprehensively investigated for their treatment effects on p SS.Through a systematic review of the literature,we summarized the TCMs used to treat p SS,and find that there are four major ways that TCMs are used,including upregulation of aquaporin proteins,suppression of cell apoptosis,suppression of the abnormal activation of B lymphocytes and suppression of the abnormal activation of T lymphocytes(balancing T helper type[Th]1/Th 2& Th17/Treg and suppressing follicular helper T[Tfh]cells).However,there are not enough data about the active constituents,quality control,pharmacokinetics,toxicity and modern preparations of these TCMs;therefore,more investigations are needed.This paper highlights the importance of TCMs for treating p SS and provides guidance for future investigations.

Natural antioxidants in the management of Parkinson's disease: Review of evidence from cell line and animal models

Parkinson’s disease(PD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease. It results from the death of dopaminergic neurons. The pathophysiological mechanisms in idiopathic PD include the production of α-synuclein and mitochondrial respiratory function-affecting complex I, caused by reactive oxygen species.Therefore, the use of natural antioxidants in PD may provide an alternative therapy that prevents oxidative stress and reduces disease progression. In this review, the effects of hydroxytyrosol, Ginkgo biloba,Withania somnifera, curcumin, green tea, and Hypericum perforatum in PD animal and cell line models are compared and discussed. The reviewed antioxidants show evidence of protecting neural cells from oxidative stress in animal and cell models of PD. However, the clinical efficacy of these phytochemicals needs to be optimised and further investigated.

TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism modulates the effect of artichoke leaf extract supplementation on insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome:a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial

Background： Transcription factor 7-like 2 （TCF7L2）-rs7903146 polymorphism is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The response of insulin and insulin resistance to artichoke leaf extract （ALE） may be affected by TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism. Objective： This study examined the effects of ALE supplementation on metabolic parameters of the TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism in patients with metabolic syndrome （MetS）. Design, setting, participants and interventions： This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients with MetS in Sina Clinic, Khoy, Iran. The patients were randomized into ALE or placebo groups to receive either ALE （1800 mg/d as four tablets） or matching placebo for 12 weeks. Main outcome rneasures： Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile levels were measured before and after the study. Moreover, patients were genotyped for TCF7L2 polymorphism. Results： ALE supplementation decreased insulin level and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） in patients with the ＂IT genotype of TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism （P 〈 0.05）. There was no significant interaction between blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile response to ALE supplementation. Conclusion： The responses of insulin and HOMA-lR to ALE supplementation have shown an interaction with single-nucleotide polymorphism rs7903146 in TCF7L2. Trial registration： Iranian Registry of Clinical Trial IRCT201409033320N9.

An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders

Thyroid dysfunction, affecting people of all ages, not only damages human growth and energy metabo- lism but is also comorbid with other illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and gastroin- testinal disorders. With the increasing acceptance of alternative and complementary therapies, acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical practice, has also been employed to address this problem. Analysing 29 clinical projects that were retrieved from 29 major digital databases and include 1757 patients aged 7-79 years from China, Italy, Korea, Macedonia and Russia, this narrative review offers an overview of the efficacy, and evaluated the safe and cost-effective use of acupuncture against hyper- thyroidism, hypothyroidism and thyroid-relevant illnesses. Findings indicated reductions in patient symptoms and improvements in biomarkers where acupuncture was used alone or in combination ther- apy. In addition to showing the role of acupuncture as an alternative and complementary medicine or as an adjunctive therapy for curative and rehabilitative purposes, more well-designed researches are needed to achieve reliable data.