Complementary and alternative medicine use by Bangladeshi adult patients with diabetes and hypertension: A multicenter study

Abstract

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Bangladesh is widespread, but scarce information exists about its use in treating hypertension and diabetes in adults. The study aimed to understand the distribution and determinants of CAM use among Bangladeshi adult patients with hypertension and diabetes. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 adult patients with hypertension (n=200) and diabetes (n=200). Data were collected from two specialised diabetes and hypertension treatment centers. Interviews were used to gather socio-demographic data, while medical records were used to obtain information on hypertension and diabetes. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the most influential predictors of CAM usage. Results: Overall, 29% (n=116) of patients used CAM for diabetes and hypertension, with 37.5% (n=41) for hypertension and 37.5% (n=75) for diabetes. Older patients (aged >59) were 7.5 times more likely to use CAM  (OR=7.527; 95% CI: 3.224 to 17.574, p<0.001) than young adults (aged <35 years). The currently employed patients were less likely to be CAM users (OR=0.429; 95% CI: 0.264 to 0.697, p<0.001) than the unemployed patients. It was less common for patients from nuclear families to use CAM (OR=0.178; 95% CI: 0.111 to 0.286, p<0.001) than those from extended families. Patients with hypertension were less likely (OR=0.430; 95% CI: 0.275 to 0.672, p<0.001) to be CAM users than patients with diabetes.  Most of the CAM users were influenced by media and family members. The most common reasons for CAM use were its perceived effectiveness, fewer side effects, and low cost. Conclusions: The study observed a high prevalence of CAM users among patients with hypertension and diabetes. The most common CAM modalities were homeopathy, ayurveda and unani medicine. The findings suggest future directions for research and have practical implications for chronic disease treatment.