[Complementary and alternative medicine in patients attending a rheumatology department for the first time. Analysis of 800 patients].

Objectives: To determine the frequency of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in patients attending a rheumatology department in a general hospital for the first time.

Subjects And Methods: We included consecutive patients attending our rheumatology department for the first time. All the patients completed a self-administered questionnaire containing items on demographic data, and prior diagnosis. The patients were also given a list of 22 different CAM and marked those they had previously used.

Results: Eight hundred patients were studied. Eighty percent were women. The mean age was 44.8±14.9 years and the mean number of years of education was 7±4. The main diagnoses were osteoarthritis (29.4%), rheumatoid arthritis (22.3%), and fibromyalgia (6.5%). Seventy-one percent had previously used CAM, with a median of two (0-14) different types. The most common were vitamin supplements (38%), arnica (18%), Aloe vera (15%) and homeopathy (15%). No significant differences were found in sex, age, educational level, or diagnosis. The use of CAM was more frequent in patients with longer disease duration.

Conclusions: The frequency of use of CAM is high in patient with rheumatologic manifestations.