New Job Opening: Health Specialist (Clinical Studies)

As a Health Specialist (Clinical Studies), you will perform the following tasks: Provide regulatory guidance for the design of NCCAM studies; Participate in development and implementation of procedures to establish and maintain coordination among the various components of clinical trials; Oversee the clinical monitoring/auditing of assigned studies; Oversee the process for clinical study site visits;

Message from the Director: A Role for Complementary Medicine?

Recent news reports about the decisions Steve Jobs made regarding his cancer treatment raise a recurring question that is timely and relevant for millions of people seeking to treat serious or life-threatening diseases: What is the role for complementary and alternative medicine? NCCAM Message from the Director: A Role for Complementary Medicine?

For Low-Back Pain, Yoga More Effective Than Self-Care But Not Stretching

Yoga is more effective than a self-care book, but not more effective than stretching classes, in improving function and reducing symptoms of chronic low-back pain, according to a study. Results from previous smaller studies had suggested that yoga may have benefits for chronic low-back pain—a common condition lacking highly effective treatment options. Findings from the

In the News: Dietary Supplements Research

Three recently published studies have highlighted the use and research surrounding natural products.Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Effect of increasing doses of saw palmetto extract on lower urinary tract symptoms: a randomized trial in the Journal

New Go4Life Campaign Focuses On Fitness for Older Adults

Being physically active is vital to maintaining health and independence as we age, and a new federal campaign for people 50 and older will help them to get active and keep going. Introduced today by the National Institutes of Health, the Go4Life campaign encourages sedentary older adults to reap health benefits by making physical activity

NCCAM Clinical Digest: Alzheimer’s Disease and CAM

According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s disease affects nearly 4.5 million Americans and is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable disease with a slow progression beginning with mild memory loss and ending with severe brain damage and death. While no treatment is proven to stop Alzheimer’s

In the News: Study Shows Vitamin E Supplements Increase Incidence of Prostate Cancer

An updated analysis of data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) showed that vitamin E supplements significantly increased the incidence of prostate cancer in healthy men. At a median followup of 7 years, the researchers observed that the incidence of prostate cancer was increased by 17 percent in men who received the vitamin E supplement alone

Vitamin E Supplements Increase Incidence of Prostate Cancer, According to SELECT Study

A vitamin E supplement significantly increased the incidence of prostate cancer in healthy men, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings are from an updated analysis from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)—a study of more than 35,000 relatively healthy men aged 50 or older. SELECT was

Homeopathy Update