PMID- 30665525
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20200318
LR  - 20200318
IS  - 1532-3064 (Electronic)
IS  - 0954-6111 (Linking)
VI  - 146
DP  - 2019 Jan
TI  - Impact of a homeopathic medication on upper respiratory tract infections in COPD 
      patients: Results of an observational, prospective study (EPOXILO).
PG  - 96-105
LID - S0954-6111(18)30370-6 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/j.rmed.2018.11.011 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung 
      disorder in which airflow is obstructed. Viral or bacterial upper respiratory 
      tract infections (URTIs) may lead to exacerbations. Homeopathic medication 
      administration to COPD patients during the influenza-exposure period may help to 
      reduce the frequency of common URTIs. METHODS: This prospective, observational, 
      multicenter study was carried out in Cantabria, Spain. Patients with COPD were 
      divided into two groups: group 1 received conventional treatment + homeopathic 
      medication (diluted and dynamized extract of duck liver and heart; Boiron) (OG); 
      group 2 received conventional treatment only (CG). The primary endpoint was the 
      number of URTIs between the 4-5 months follow up (mean 4.72 +/- 0.96) from basal to 
      last visit. Secondary endpoints included the duration of URTIs, number and 
      duration of COPD exacerbations, use of COPD drugs, changes in quality of life 
      (QoL), compliance, and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: 219 patients were analyzed 
      (OG = 109, CG = 110). There was a significant reduction in mean number of URTIs 
      during the follow-up period in OG compared to CG (0.514 +/- 0.722 vs. 
      1.037 +/- 1.519, respectively; p = 0.014). Logistic regression analysis showed a 
      3.3-times higher probability of suffering >/=2 URTI episodes in CG (p = 0.003, 
      n = 72). OG patients having >/=1 URTI also had a significant reduction in mean URTI 
      duration per episode (3.57 +/- 2.44 days OG vs. 5.22 +/- 4.17 days CG; p = 0.012). 
      There was no significant difference in mean number of exacerbations, mean 
      duration of exacerbations, or QoL between OG and CG. There was a greater decrease 
      in proportion of patients using corticosteroids for exacerbations between 
      baseline and visit 2 in OG compared to CG (22.1% vs. 7.5% fewer respectively, 
      p = 0.005). Exacerbator phenotype patients had a significant decrease in number 
      of URTIs (0.54 +/- 0.72 vs. 1.31 +/- 1.81; p = 0.011), and fewer COPD exacerbations 
      (0.9 +/- 1.3 vs. 1.5 +/- 1.7; p = 0.037) in OG vs. CG, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 
      Homeopathic medication use during the influenza-exposure period may have a 
      beneficial impact at reducing URTIs' number and duration in COPD patients and at 
      reducing the number of COPD exacerbations in patients with the exacerbator 
      phenotype. Further studies are needed to confirm the effects observed in this 
      study.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
FAU - Conde Diez, Susana
AU  - Conde Diez S
AD  - Centro de Salud Jose Barros (Camargo), Avda. Bilbao S/n. Muriedas, 39600, 
      Cantabria, Spain. Electronic address: sue_santander@yahoo.es.
FAU - Viejo Casas, Ana
AU  - Viejo Casas A
AD  - Centro de Salud Pisuena-Cayon, C/El Ferial S/n. 39620 Saron, Cantabria, Spain. 
      Electronic address: afvcasas@gmail.com.
FAU - Garcia Rivero, Juan Luis
AU  - Garcia Rivero JL
AD  - Servicio de Neumologia, Hospital de Laredo, Cantabria, Spain. Electronic address: 
      jgarcianml@gmail.com.
FAU - Lopez Caro, Juan Carlos
AU  - Lopez Caro JC
AD  - Centro de Salud Cotolino, C/San Andres S/n Castro Urdiales, 39700, Cantabria, 
      Spain. Electronic address: jcarloslopezcaro@hotmail.com.
FAU - Ortiz Portal, Felix
AU  - Ortiz Portal F
AD  - Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain. Electronic 
      address: ortizportal@gmail.com.
FAU - Diaz Saez, Gualberto
AU  - Diaz Saez G
AD  - Former Medical Director, BOIRON SIH, Madrid, Spain; CEDH (Centro Ensenanza y 
      Desarrollo Homeopatia), Alcobendas, Spain. Electronic address: diazgual@yahoo.es.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Multicenter Study
PT  - Observational Study
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20181116
PL  - England
TA  - Respir Med
JT  - Respiratory medicine
JID - 8908438
RN  - 0 (Adrenal Cortex Hormones)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adrenal Cortex Hormones/adverse effects/*therapeutic use
MH  - Aged
MH  - Aged, 80 and over
MH  - Case-Control Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Homeopathy
MH  - Humans
MH  - Logistic Models
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/complications/*drug therapy
MH  - Quality of Life
MH  - Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology/*prevention & control
MH  - Spain/epidemiology
MH  - Treatment Outcome
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
OT  - Exacerbation
OT  - Homeopathy
OT  - Influenza like illness
OT  - Observational study
OT  - Oscillococcinum((R))
OT  - Upper respiratory tract infections
EDAT- 2019/01/23 06:00
MHDA- 2020/03/19 06:00
CRDT- 2019/01/23 06:00
PHST- 2018/06/19 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2018/11/14 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2018/11/15 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/01/23 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2019/01/23 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2020/03/19 06:00 [medline]
AID - S0954-6111(18)30370-6 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.rmed.2018.11.011 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Respir Med. 2019 Jan;146:96-105. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2018.11.011. Epub 2018 Nov 
      16.