Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26649230›Full record

ArticleJournal of intercultural ethnopharmacology

The availability and validity of safety information of over the counter herbal products for use in diabetes in Sri Lanka: A cross sectional study.

Arjuna Bandara Medagama, Heshan Widanapahirana, Tharindu Prasanga

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Arjuna Bandara MedagamaFaculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Heshan WidanapahiranaFaculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Tharindu PrasangaFaculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
University of Peradeniya · LK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThere is an increase of over-the-counter (OTC) herbal products for use in diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety information provided with OTC herbal remedies intended for diabetic patients in Sri Lanka and to assess the completeness of the information provided.

methodsInclusion criteria consisted of OTC herbal remedies meant for use in diabetes. They were bought from local Sri Lankan supermarkets and non-ayurvedic pharmacies and product information regarding the risk of hypoglycemia, precautions for use, adverse events, dose, and interactions were assessed using a scoring system. The accuracy of the information was then compared against published data.

results11 products fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Five products contained a single constituent and five contained more than one. None had complete and accurate safety information according to our criteria. None specifically warned against the risk of hypoglycemia. 9 out of 11 products (81.8%) carried ≤3 items of the five essential factual information we expected. Hypoglycemic coma, gastrointestinal symptoms, hepatotoxicity, carcinogenesis, and interactions causing elevated drug levels of Carbamazepine were some of the safety information that was missing.

conclusionsKey safety information was absent in most products. Regulation of sale, provision of key safety information and adverse event reporting should be a priority.

Indexed as

Complementary and alternative medicinediabetes mellitusherbal remediessafety information

Identifiers

PMID26649230
PMCPMC4665020
OpenAlexW2178747920

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.