Abstract
Background: Across the world, the economic and health costs of diabetes are rising at an alarming rate. Each year in the United States, billions of dollars are spent on T2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatments, but such treatments are not always effective and can lead to adverse events. Many pharmacological treatments exist to control the primary and secondary symptoms of T2DM, but these medications are not always efficacious, do little to treat secondary T2DM symptoms, and often carry adverse side effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a form of alternative medicine that is becoming appealing to western healthcare systems because of its comprehensive, holistic approach to managing T2DM patients.
Methods: Works across TCM printed texts, clinical trial databases, medical association practice guidelines, and the existing literature on TCM and western diabetes treatments (in print and online) are reviewed.
Results: Conventional pharmaceutical therapies for T2DM are not efficacious enough to maintain satisfactory blood glucose levels for all patients, and even patients who maintain stable blood glucose levels may still suffer from secondary T2DM symptoms as well as from the side effects of their medications. TCM therapies have demonstrated promising results in T2DM clinical studies without causing the types of side effects associated with standard pharmaceutical treatments. In addition, the economic burden of TCM diabetes treatments on patients and payers is oftentimes less than that of pharmaceutical regimens.
Conclusion: TCM approaches can be a viable alternative approach to treatment in the modern U.S. healthcare landscape, but a number of obstacles impede its assimilation into western health systems.
Current Diabetes Reviews
Title:Alternative Therapies for Diabetes: A Comparison of Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Approaches
Volume: 14 Issue: 6
Author(s): Eric Xiao and Luguang Luo*
Affiliation:
- Roger Williams Hospital, Providence, RI,United States
Keywords: Diabetes, TCM, CAM, Chinese, acupuncture, herbal.
Abstract: Background: Across the world, the economic and health costs of diabetes are rising at an alarming rate. Each year in the United States, billions of dollars are spent on T2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatments, but such treatments are not always effective and can lead to adverse events. Many pharmacological treatments exist to control the primary and secondary symptoms of T2DM, but these medications are not always efficacious, do little to treat secondary T2DM symptoms, and often carry adverse side effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a form of alternative medicine that is becoming appealing to western healthcare systems because of its comprehensive, holistic approach to managing T2DM patients.
Methods: Works across TCM printed texts, clinical trial databases, medical association practice guidelines, and the existing literature on TCM and western diabetes treatments (in print and online) are reviewed.
Results: Conventional pharmaceutical therapies for T2DM are not efficacious enough to maintain satisfactory blood glucose levels for all patients, and even patients who maintain stable blood glucose levels may still suffer from secondary T2DM symptoms as well as from the side effects of their medications. TCM therapies have demonstrated promising results in T2DM clinical studies without causing the types of side effects associated with standard pharmaceutical treatments. In addition, the economic burden of TCM diabetes treatments on patients and payers is oftentimes less than that of pharmaceutical regimens.
Conclusion: TCM approaches can be a viable alternative approach to treatment in the modern U.S. healthcare landscape, but a number of obstacles impede its assimilation into western health systems.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Xiao Eric and Luo Luguang *, Alternative Therapies for Diabetes: A Comparison of Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Approaches, Current Diabetes Reviews 2018; 14 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573399813666170519103230
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573399813666170519103230 |
Print ISSN 1573-3998 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6417 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advancing Diabetic Wound Healing: Mechanisms and Interventions
In recent years, diabetic wounds have become a global health concern with the increase in the incidence of diabetes. Diabetic wounds are a kind of chronic and refractory ulcer. It is generally due to the microcirculatory disturbances and the reduced levels of endogenous growth factors. Delayed cutaneous wound healing is ...read more
Oxidative and inflammatory responses in the development of secondary diabetic complications
Diabetes, along with its associated secondary complications, represents a significant global health challenge, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, reduced physical activity, environmental pollutants, and stress are pivotal factors in the onset of diabetes, particularly type-2 diabetes. Poorly managed hyperglycemia can lead to various complications, including neuropathy, ...read more
![](/images/wayfinder.jpg)
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Review of Evidence that Epidemics of Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes/ Metabolic Syndrome are Polar Opposite Responses to Iatrogenic Inflammation
Current Diabetes Reviews New Immunosuppressants: Immunosuppression and Immunomodulation
Medicinal Chemistry Reviews - Online (Discontinued) The Role of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) in the Treatment of Dyslipidemias
Current Pharmaceutical Design Insulin-Degrading Enzyme: Structure-Function Relationship and its Possible Roles in Health and Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Testosterone, Estradiol, and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Current Alzheimer Research Role of PPAR-γ Agonist Thiazolidinediones in Treatment of Pre-Diabetic and Diabetic Individuals: A Cardiovascular Perspective
Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Endothelial Biomarkers in Arterial Hypertension
Current Hypertension Reviews Prevalence and Related Factors of Sarcopenia in Community-dwelling Elderly with Long-term Care Insurance
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials The Role of microRNAs in the Initiation and Progression of Stable Atheromatous Plaque
Current Pharmaceutical Design Autophagy as a Molecular Target of Flavonoids Underlying their Protective Effects in Human Disease
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Utility of Metformin Therapy in Reproductive-Aged Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Potentiation of Anti-Cancer Treatment by Modulators of Energy Metabolism
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Effect of Aglycon and Glycoside Flavonoid-Enriched Extracts Obtained from Buxus sempervirens L. on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Diabetic Rats
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Pre-clinical Validation of Mito-targeted Nano-engineered Flavonoids Isolated From Selaginella bryopteris (Sanjeevani) As A Novel Cancer Prevention Strategy
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Potent Inhibitory Effect of β-D-Mannuronic Acid (M2000) as a Novel NSAID with Immunosuppressive Property on Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies, Rheumatoid Factor and Anti-dsDNA Antibodies in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Current Drug Discovery Technologies Antioxidant Activity of Uva di Troia Canosina: Comparison of Two Extraction Methods
Clinical Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Drugs (Discontinued) Anatomical and Functional Relationships Between Sensory Nerves and Mast Cells
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Protective Potential of Uric Acid, Folic Acid, Glutathione and Ascorbic Acid Against the Formation of Toxic Met-Myoglobin
Protein & Peptide Letters Patent Selections:
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery (Discontinued) Fibrates and Statins in the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology