The Burden of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Diabetics Attending a Tertiary Hospital in North Central Nigeria

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with complications. Its management entails lifestyle modification and drug treatment regimen to control the disease. The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in addition to orthodox medications is viewed by many patients as the way to achieve glycaemic control. The aim of the study was to determine the burden of complementary and alternative medicine use among diabetics at the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC), Makurdi, North Central Nigeria. The cross sectional study was conducted among 244 patients with type 2 diabetes 18 years and above through systematic random sampling method. The data was collected using a semi- structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 23). The study found out that the mean age of the participants was 56.97 (+ 10.69) years. There were 144 females (59%) and 100 males (41%). Prevalence of the concurrent use of CAM and orthodox medicines among study participants was 40.2%. The study concluded that a significant proportion of patients receiving conventional treatment for diabetes also used CAM therapies. Thus, further research on the potential benefits and otherwise of CAM on treatment of diabetes in this environment is suggested to get a better insight into the role of CAM in diabetes management.