Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Heart-Healthy Integrative Nutritional Counseling Group Education Sessions Among Chinese Americans With Cardiovascular Risk Factors Or Disease: A Primary Care Quality Improvement Pilot, Jasmin Woo, Evelyn Y. Ho, Jane Jih

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Current biomedical cardiovascular disease nutrition counseling does not incorporate Chinese medicine principles.

Methods: A heart-healthy integrative nutritional counseling (H2INC) curriculum consistent with Chinese medicine principles and biomedical nutrition guidelines was taught to Chinese Americans in group education sessions. Chinese-speaking patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors from an urban general medicine practice were recruited to attend a 90-minute group session. Participants completed pre-post surveys to assess the impact of H2INC on their perceived heart-healthy nutrition knowledge and empowerment, as well as the cultural relevance of H2INC.

Results: A total of 47 participants (mean age: 74 years; 63.8% female) attended …

Lavender Aromatherapy: Ready For Prime-Time Office Use?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The editor-in-chief of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews comments on the perioperative use of lavender aromatherapy and its potential to relieve pain and anxiety during minor primary care office procedures.

Should Primary Care Physicians Address Sleep To Improve Weight Loss In Obese Patients? A Clin-Iq, Kjersti E. Knox

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Obesity is a commonly encountered problem in the primary care setting. Simultaneously, sleep is seen to hold an increasingly important role in many components of health and wellness. A review of the literature was performed to determine if improving sleep positively impacts weight loss in obese adults. The evidence reviewed suggests that improving patients’ sleep may initially improve patient weight loss; however, current studies do not show a sustained statistically significant impact. Until higher powered and higher quality studies are completed, there are no clear evidence-based guidelines for primary care physicians to follow regarding sleep and obesity.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction And Transcendental Meditation: Current State Of Research, Adam Holt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This article summarizes the current state of meditation research, specifically focusing on mindfulness-based stress reduction and transcendental meditation. Despite significant methodological problems with the studies reported to date on the subject, there is consistent evidence that meditation can produce changes in the nervous system and physiology of the meditator, and can help with various psychological markers of well-being. Regarding improvement in specific clinical diseases, research is generally mixed and preliminary. Strong recommendations cannot be made based on current evidence, and further studies are needed. In general, there is a stronger body of evidence supporting mindfulness-based stress reduction than for transcendental …