Everyone Healthy Library
Lymphedema
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
6Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
9Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Lifestyle changes
4Behavioural changes
1Alternative and complementary therapies
1Alternative medicine
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
3These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological markers/agents
5This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
2Often decreased
3- D Xylose (Blood Concentration, 1 Hour Post Administration)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 20–100 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y): 20–60 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsD Xylose Absorption Test (Xylose Tolerance)
- D Xylose (Blood Concentration, 2 Hours Post Administratio)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 20–60 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y): 30–60 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsD Xylose Absorption Test (Xylose Tolerance)
- D Xylose (Urine, Percentage of Total Administered, After 5 Hours)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 16–32 %; Adult ( > 16y): 16–50 %Linked diagnostic testsD Xylose Absorption Test (Xylose Tolerance)
Introduction / full article
Lymphedema
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Pine Bark Extract [1, 2, 3, 4]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: weakly in favor (Early studies indicate potential for Pine bark extract in the treatment of Venous Thromboembolism, but more clinical studies need to be done)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT):
Recommendation: strongly against (available evidence shows that HBOT is in no way useful in treating Lymphedema, and can have harmful effects. NOT RECOMENDED)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00214032
3. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pine-bark-extract
4. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-pycnogenol.html