A randomized placebo controlled clinical trial using Homoeopathy as an adjuvant to standard care in the management of COVID-19

IF 1.7 Q2 Medicine

Advances in integrative medicine Pub Date : 2025-05-14 DOI:10.1016/j.aimed.2025.100502

Govindarajan Sankaran , Anil Khurana , Leena Shah , Kishor Khillare , Debadatta Nayak , Navin Pawaskar

{"title":"A randomized placebo controlled clinical trial using Homoeopathy as an adjuvant to standard care in the management of COVID-19","authors":"Govindarajan Sankaran , Anil Khurana , Leena Shah , Kishor Khillare , Debadatta Nayak , Navin Pawaskar","doi":"10.1016/j.aimed.2025.100502","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>COVID-19 challenged medical fraternity with high transmission rates, lack of prior sensitization of the immune system, high mortality, and emotional stress due to fear of death and social isolation.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The objective of this trial was to test the effectiveness of individualized homoeopathic treatment as an adjuvant to modern medicine.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>setting, participants, and interventions</div><div>This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Two hundred and sixty-nine participants who tested positive for COVID-19 infection (N Gene, ORF 1-ab-Gene, and the S Gene of the SARS COV-2 virus) were randomized into two parallel groups. A total of 133 participants (49 %) were randomized to the homeopathic group. The remaining 136 (51 %) patients in the control group received a placebo intervention in addition to standard care of modern medicine.</div></div><div><h3>Main outcome measures</h3><div>The endpoints of the trial were measuring the impact on patient symptoms, mortality rate, need for mechanical ventilation, inflammatory markers, and length of hospital stay. Statistical analysis was performed using a multivariate random effects model for symptoms and inflammatory markers. Logistic regression models were used to assess clinical outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) requirement, ventilator support, and deaths.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 269 participants, 133 (49 %) were in the homoeopathic group and 136 (51 %) were in the control group. There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics, comorbidities, or allopathic treatment administered within the groups at baseline. The median scores for shortness of breath, cough, weakness, and fatigue significantly reduced on days five and ten. There were no significant differences in the median values of inflammatory markers. The ICU requirement (p = 0.01), ventilator requirement (p = 0.01), and mortality (p = 0.003) were significantly lower in the homoeopathic group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Homoeopathy as an adjuvant to standard care in the management of COVID-19 resulted in lowering of clinical symptoms, and a significantly lower ICU requirement, requirement of ventilation, and mortality rate compared to standard care alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7343,"journal":{"name":"Advances in integrative medicine","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100502"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in integrative medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212958825000618","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 challenged medical fraternity with high transmission rates, lack of prior sensitization of the immune system, high mortality, and emotional stress due to fear of death and social isolation.

Objective

The objective of this trial was to test the effectiveness of individualized homoeopathic treatment as an adjuvant to modern medicine.

Design

setting, participants, and interventions

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Two hundred and sixty-nine participants who tested positive for COVID-19 infection (N Gene, ORF 1-ab-Gene, and the S Gene of the SARS COV-2 virus) were randomized into two parallel groups. A total of 133 participants (49 %) were randomized to the homeopathic group. The remaining 136 (51 %) patients in the control group received a placebo intervention in addition to standard care of modern medicine.

Main outcome measures

The endpoints of the trial were measuring the impact on patient symptoms, mortality rate, need for mechanical ventilation, inflammatory markers, and length of hospital stay. Statistical analysis was performed using a multivariate random effects model for symptoms and inflammatory markers. Logistic regression models were used to assess clinical outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) requirement, ventilator support, and deaths.

Results

Of the 269 participants, 133 (49 %) were in the homoeopathic group and 136 (51 %) were in the control group. There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics, comorbidities, or allopathic treatment administered within the groups at baseline. The median scores for shortness of breath, cough, weakness, and fatigue significantly reduced on days five and ten. There were no significant differences in the median values of inflammatory markers. The ICU requirement (p = 0.01), ventilator requirement (p = 0.01), and mortality (p = 0.003) were significantly lower in the homoeopathic group.

Conclusion

Homoeopathy as an adjuvant to standard care in the management of COVID-19 resulted in lowering of clinical symptoms, and a significantly lower ICU requirement, requirement of ventilation, and mortality rate compared to standard care alone.

查看原文本刊更多论文

一项随机安慰剂对照临床试验，使用顺势疗法作为辅助标准治疗来管理COVID-19

2019冠状病毒病（covid -19）的传播率高、免疫系统缺乏事先敏化、死亡率高以及因害怕死亡和社会孤立而造成的情绪紧张，对医疗兄弟会构成了挑战。目的本试验的目的是检验个体化顺势疗法作为现代医学辅助治疗的有效性。设计、参与者和干预：这是一项随机、双盲、安慰剂对照试验。269名COVID-19感染检测呈阳性的参与者（SARS COV-2病毒的N基因、ORF 1-ab-基因和S基因）被随机分为两个平行组。共有133名参与者（49% %）被随机分配到顺势疗法组。对照组的其余136例（51% %）患者在接受现代医学标准治疗的基础上接受安慰剂干预。主要结局指标试验的终点是测量对患者症状、死亡率、机械通气需求、炎症标志物和住院时间的影响。采用多变量随机效应模型对症状和炎症标志物进行统计分析。使用Logistic回归模型评估临床结果，包括重症监护病房（ICU）需求、呼吸机支持和死亡。结果269例患者中，顺势疗法组133例（49 %），对照组136例（51 %）。在人口统计学特征、合并症或对抗疗法治疗方面，两组在基线时没有显著差异。呼吸短促、咳嗽、虚弱和疲劳的中位数得分在第5天和第10天显著降低。炎症标志物的中位数无显著差异。顺势疗法组ICU需求（p = 0.01）、呼吸机需求（p = 0.01）、病死率（p = 0.003）均显著低于顺势疗法组。结论顺势疗法辅助标准护理治疗新冠肺炎患者临床症状明显减轻，ICU需求、通气需求和死亡率均明显低于标准护理。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Advances in integrative medicine INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

11.80%

发文量

审稿时长

15 weeks

期刊介绍： Advances in Integrative Medicine (AIMED) is an international peer-reviewed, evidence-based research and review journal that is multi-disciplinary within the fields of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. The journal focuses on rigorous quantitative and qualitative research including systematic reviews, clinical trials and surveys, whilst also welcoming medical hypotheses and clinically-relevant articles and case studies disclosing practical learning tools for the consulting practitioner. By promoting research and practice excellence in the field, and cross collaboration between relevant practitioner groups and associations, the journal aims to advance the practice of IM, identify areas for future research, and improve patient health outcomes. International networking is encouraged through clinical innovation, the establishment of best practice and by providing opportunities for cooperation between organisations and communities.