Knowledge and Research Center for Alternative Medicine (ViFAB).

ViFAB is a center under the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health.

Cardiovascular Patients and Alternative Medicine

Here you will find key figures from a survey
among members of The Danish Heart
Foundation.

Please note that not all members of The Danish
Heart Foundation have cardiovascular diseases.

The study was conducted by The Danish Heart Association in 2005.

32 percent of the members have used alternative medicine within the last five years.

55 percent of the members are using herbal and dietary supplements.
 
The most commonly used types of alternative therapies among the members of the Danish Heart Foundation are:

  • Acupuncture (39 percent)
  • Reflexology (29 percent)
  • Homeopathy (7 percent)
  • Healing with crystals (4 percent)
  • Other types of healing (4 percent)
  • Other treatments (16 percent)

The most commonly used types of herbal or dietary supplements among the members of the Danish Heart Foundation are:

  • Multi-vitamin tablet (32 percent)
  • Fish oil (25 percent)
  • B-vitamin, strong (9 percent)
  • Garlic Preparation (5 percent)
  • Echinacea (4 percent)
  • Q10 (4 percent)
  • Selenium (4 percent)
  • Ginkgo biloba (3 percent)
  • Hawthorn (1 percent)
  • Other (22 percent)

Members of The Danish Heart Foundation give the following reasons for their use of alternative medicine:

  • I wanted to do something myself (32 percent)
  • I knew someone who benefited from alternative medicine (29 percent)
  • I have read/heard about doctors who recommended the specific alternative medicine (7 percent)
  • I knew that the alternative therapist would take the time I needed (6 percent)
  • I felt given up by the medical system (5 percent)
  • Other reasons (21 percent)

The alternative medicine is most commonly used for:

  • Other diseases than heart disease (47 percent)
  • No disease, but to improve ones general condition (34 percent)
  • A related disease following a heart disease (8 percent)
  • Improving ones state of mind (5 percent)
  • A heart disease with many symptoms (3 percent)
  • Undecided (3 percent)

The study is based on questionnaires answered by nearly 1000 members of the Danish Heart Foundation, of which not all are patients with cardiovascular disease.

The questions about alternative medicine were a part of a larger questionnaire study.

The purpose of the study was to identify the use of alternative therapies among members of The Danish Heart Foundation.

The Danish Heart Foundation.



Last updated 24-08-2010