Everyone Healthy Library
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
9Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
2Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
5Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Alternative medicine
1Vitamins and minerals
1Vitamins
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
2These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological and test markers
2This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated 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
0No markers in this group.
Other associated markers
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Strychnos Nux-Vomica (Maqianzi, Poison Nut) [1, 8, 9, 10]:
WARNING! This substance is HIGHLY POISONOUS. The seeds contain Strychnine, which may cause convulsions, breathing difficulties and death, even if as little as 5 milligrams is ingested
Recommendation: Strongly against (There is no evidence in the form of clinical trials which reports the effectiveness of Strychnos Nux-Vomica, because it is highly poisonous to humans, and is not recommended.)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Megavitamin Therapy (Multivitamin, Vitamin Supplements) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]:
Please Note that while supplements are effective in correcting deficiencies in the body, their long-term usage is not helpful in preventing diseases like cancer and heart disease. To prevent these illnesses one should eat the natural foods which these vitamins and minerals come from. Replacing natural sources with artificial supplements actually increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Supplements should be taken only as a balanced multivitamin supplement that contains no more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance. It would be most helpful in people with restricted food intakes, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.
Recommendation: Weakly against. (There is no evidence that Megavitamin therapy can prevent or treat peripheral arterial disease. In fact, long term therapy can lead to increased risk)
Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence
Tai Chi:
Recommendation: weakly in favor (Available evidence shows that Tai Chi may have cardiovascular benefits, which include reducing symptoms of peripheral arterial disease)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
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.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/orthomolecular-medicine
3. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/163/2/192.pdf
4. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ortho.html
5. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/5/707
6. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/about-ama/13638.shtml
7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17327526
8. David Michael Wood et al. Case report: Survival after deliberate strychnine self-poisoning, with toxicokinetic data. Critical Care October 2002 Vol 6 No 5
9. Arnold, M.D., Harry L. (1968). Poisonous Plants of Hawaii. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co.. p. 20. ISBN 0804804745.
10. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/strychnos-nux-vomica