Use of complementary medicine by adult patients participating in HIV/AIDS clinical trials

Objective: To identify and characterize patterns of use of complementary an d alternative (CAM) therapies by human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immu nodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients participating in clinical trials in a research setting. Design: A descriptive survey using a nonrandom sample of 100 patients was c onducted over 17 months, using a 99-item interview schedule adapted from a previous study. Setting: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Ce nter. Subjects: Patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, participating in clinical resea rch protocols at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer institute (NCI) at the NIH. Results: Ninety-one percent (91%) had used at least one CAM therapy, as def ined by a 1993 study by Eisenberg et al., sometime in their lives. Postdiag nosis, 84% used at least one CAM therapy with an average of just fewer than 5. The increase in frequency of use from 64% prediagnosis was significant (p(2) = 0.019). Therapies that became significantly more popular postdiagno sis were, imagery (p(2) = 0.00012), high-dose vitamins, (p(2) = 0.000019), weight gain (p(2) 0.000244), massage (p(2) = 0.00091), relaxation (p(2) = 0 .0033), herbals (p(2) = 0.013), spiritual (p(2) = 0.024), and acupuncture ( p(2) = 0.035). They were primarily used for HIV/AIDS-related problems: derm atological, nausea, depression, insomnia, and weakness. There was a high le vel of agreement that benefits of CAM use were: feeling better, 51 (98.1%), increased coping, 52 (100%), feeling in control, 44 (88.5%), and enhanced treatment outcome, 49 (94.2%) with 32 (61%) stating CAM was as, or more eff ective than conventional treatment. Fifty-three percent (53%) were specific ally asked by physicians whether they were using adjunct therapies. Conclusions: Subjects used a variety of CAM therapies to cope with their di seases and rigors of treatment and clinical trials. Further research is nee ded to identify CAM therapies that may be used as adjunct treatments during clinical trials.