Browsing by Subject "Complementary therapy"

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    Effects of green tea catechin extract on serum lipids in postmenopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial
    (2015-05) Rose, April Lynn
    bold>ABSTRACT Objective: Test the efficacy of a green tea catechin extract (GTE) to improve lipid profile in postmenopausal women. Methods: 886 women were enrolled and randomized to consume either 1200 mg of GTE (800 mg EGCG) or placebo, daily. Fasting serum samples were drawn for lipid panel at baseline, midpoint (month 6), and endpoint (month 12) of study for ananlysis. Results: After one year on treatment, total cholesterol (-4.6 mg/dL, P<.0001), LDL-C (-5.0 mg/dL, P<.0001), and non-HDL cholesterol (-4.4 mg/dL, P>.0001) were significantly reduced in the GTE group. The largest reductions in TC, LDL-C, and non-HDLC occurred in participants with baseline total cholesterol >200 mg/dL. HDL-C decreased slightly in the GTE group, both after 6 months on treatment (P=.0016), and overall (P=.0038). Conclusion: Daily supplementation of GTE at 1200 mg (800 mg EGCG) for one year significantly reduced levels of TC, LDL-C, and non-HDLC in a population of postmenopausal women.
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    Reiki to Reduce Pain During Hemodialysis: A Systematic Review and Feasibility Study
    (2017-10) Zins, Savannah
    Background: Pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms among individuals receiving hemodialysis. Management is often suboptimal and effective interventions are needed. Reiki, a natural system of healing using universal life-force energy to heal, relax, and restore the whole person, is a promising, non-pharmacologic approach to pain management. A systematic review, conducted as a part of this dissertation research, found few studies of non-pharmacological, complementary therapy use for individuals receiving hemodialysis, and confirmed that Reiki’s impact is unknown in this population. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of Reiki for pain management among individuals receiving hemodialysis. The validity of computer adaptive technology (CAT) instruments compared with established symptom scales was also explored. Method: A one group, repeated-measures pilot study was conducted with a convenience sample of 15 individuals over four weeks. Pain, fatigue, and depression were measured using established symptom scales and CAT instruments. Reiki was administered for 20-minutes, twice per week during hemodialysis. Results: Recruitment goals fell short whereas target completion and adherence rates for Reiki were met. The study was feasible for participants and no adverse events from Reiki occurred. Participant feedback revealed positive experiences with Reiki and web-based measures. Hemodialysis staff feedback reported no impact on workflow and improvement observed in patients. Significant, moderate to very strong correlations with established symptom scales support the construct validity of the CAT instruments. There were significant improvements in pain, fatigue, and depression over the course of the Reiki sessions. Conclusion: Findings support Reiki as a promising, acceptable, low risk complementary intervention and support conducting future larger-scale randomized clinical trials with longer follow-up periods to evaluate the effects of Reiki for individuals undergoing hemodialysis.