2007 Press Releases
NCCAM has added three new Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM to its centers program. These centers will explore the biological effects of a number of plant-derived compounds and preparations found in CAM products, such as dietary supplements, on pancreatic diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a final rule establishing regulations to require current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) for dietary supplements.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) welcomes six new members to the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM).
Stephen E. Straus, M.D., 60, the first director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), died of brain cancer May 14, 2007, at his home in Potomac, Maryland.
NCCAM has established an Integrative Medicine Consult Service at the NIH Clinical Center. This service will provide physicians, nurses, and other members of the Clinical Center health care team the ability to discuss CAM therapies with knowledgeable medical staff from the consult service and learn how various CAM practices might complement or interact with a patient’s care.
Some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of certain fish may also benefit the brain by lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease. In order to test whether an omega-3 fatty acid can impact the progression of Alzheimer's disease, researchers supported by the National Institute on Aging, will evaluate one in a clinical trial, the gold standard for medical research.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements announces a grant to an Iowa State University multidisciplinary research team to study Hypericum (St. John's wort), Prunella (Self-heal), and several types of Echinacea (for example, Purple Coneflower) for their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Tai chi, a traditional Chinese form of exercise, may help older adults avoid getting shingles by increasing immunity to varicella-zoster virus and boosting the immune response to varicella vaccine in older adults.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that repeated topical use of products containing lavender oil and/or tea tree oil may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a rare condition resulting in enlarged breast tissue in boys prior to puberty, and for which a cause is seldom identified.
In spite of the high use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among people age 50 or older, 69 percent of those who use CAM do not talk to their doctors about it, according to a new survey conducted by AARP and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health. The survey examined conversations between patients and their physicians regarding CAM use.