Endocrinologists caution against herbal medicine usage in diabetes management
Amid the skyrocketing drug prices amid economic hardship, specialists in diabetes care have advised those living with the killer disease not to resort to herbal medicines as an alternative treatment to avoid worsening their health.
The endocrinologists warned that the use of herbal medicine and concoctions over a long period could damage the kidneys, and liver, and bring about several other health implications
The experts, who spoke in separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, said most kidney failures, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease, could be linked to indiscriminate use of these concoctions.
Kidney failure
Kidney failure. Picture Source: gettyimages
The World Health Organisation says diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
“The most common is type 2 diabetes, usually in adults, which occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin
“Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation”, the WHO states.
No fewer than 11.2 million Nigerians are presently living with the disease, according to the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, while globally, the WHO says about 422 million people worldwide have diabetes with the majority living in low-and middle-income countries.
As it stands, patients in need of life-saving medicines are currently facing hard times in Nigeria due to the sharp increase in the prices of medicines.
Pharmacists and manufacturers say drug prices have shot up by 300 per cent.
According to them, the increase and scarcity of drugs were caused by the depreciation of the naira and the exit of foreign pharmaceutical companies from the country.
In August, British multinational drug maker and biotechnology company, GlaxoSmithKline, announced its exit from Nigeria.
Speaking with our correspondent, a professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Olufemi Fasanmade, said the use of herbal medicine is not standard diabetes treatment.
He said, “Herbal medications are often not standardised or well studied. Some are good and some are bad. They can lead to liver or kidney failure when used for prolonged periods.”
Fasanmade warned that irregular use of medications often leads to several complications such as blindness, stroke, kidney failure, heart attacks, and lower extremity amputation.
Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade
Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade
Urging patients with diabetes to use standard treatment instead of using herbal medicine and concoctions, the endocrinologist said the best way to curb the high burden of the disease in Nigeria was for people to prevent it.
“This includes moderate eating of food, consumption of vegetables and legumes, cereals, and drinking a lot of water. Smoking and drinking alcohol should be stopped” the endocrinologist suggested,” Fasanmade advised.
The WHO says traditional medicine is generally available, affordable, and commonly used in large parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
It estimates that about 80 per cent of the population in developing countries still depends on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs; however, this percentage may vary from country to country.
However, there are usually concerns among experts on the preparation of herbal medicine, which include the handling, dosage requirement for each ailment, shelf life, and expiration date.
A Paediatric Endocrinologist at LUTH, Dr Elizabeth Oyenusi, advised parents who have children living with Type 1 diabetes to ensure they take their insulin regularly.
She warned that if they fail to take the medication as recommended, they could come down with complications such as blindness and kidney problems.
Dr Elizabeth Oyenusi
Dr Elizabeth Oyenusi
Oyenusi, who is also a consultant paediatrician, explained that insulin is a hormone that helps to regulate the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood, noting that lack of effective insulin plays a key role in the development of diabetes.
According to Mayo Clinic, an online health portal, insulin therapy is often an important part of diabetes treatment.
It noted that those with Type 1 diabetes need to “Understand the key role insulin plays in managing your blood sugar and preventing diabetes complications”.
The endocrinologist said parents should worry when their children are consuming excessive food and also losing weight, revealing that those are the symptoms of diabetes in children.
“If they don’t take their insulin, they could come down with complications. They will be breathing fast and could fall into a coma. They will be urinating too much. They could have blindness and kidney problems”, she said.
The paediatrician noted that excessive urination, drinking too much water, excessive food consumption, and weight loss are some of the symptoms of diabetes in children.
Though the exact cause of most types of diabetes remains unknown, experts listed some of the symptoms to include; feeling more thirsty than usual, urinating often, losing weight without trying, feeling tired and weak, feeling irritable, having blurry vision, and having slow-healing sores.
They noted that the risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced through regular and adequate physical activity, healthy eating, and avoiding tobacco and harmful use of alcohol.
According to them, if developed, type 2 diabetes can be managed through medication, control of blood pressure, and lipids, and adherence to a healthy lifestyle.
Meanwhile, available studies show that patients with diabetes may prefer to use herbal remedies over modern medicine for several reasons including; dissatisfaction with the conventional treatment, and treatment-related adverse effects.
Other reasons are the perceived suitability of herbal remedies with patients’ values and spiritual beliefs.
In a 2018 study published in BioMed Central journal titled, ‘Prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine use among Type 2 diabetic patients in Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study’, the researchers said diabetes mellitus complications were identified to be strong predictors of herbal medicine use.
Traditional medicine practitioners
Herbal preparations
“The present study revealed a high rate of herbal medicine use along with a very low rate of use disclosure to the health care professionals.
“Higher educational status, a family history of DM, duration of T2DM, and presence of DM complications were identified to be strong predictors of herbal medicine use.
“From the standpoint of high prevalence and low disclosure rate, it is imperative for health care providers to strongly consult patients regarding herbal medicine use”, the researchers said.
BMC is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes peer-reviewed contributions from across all scientific and clinical disciplines.
The International Diabetes Federation in its 2021 report indicated that 537 million adults (20-79 years) are living with diabetes, which translates to one in 10.
This number is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045, while over three in four adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries, according to the report.
