Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2415

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

 

Publication type: news

Shang A, Huwiler-muntener K, Nartey L, Juni P, Dorig S, Sterne JA, Pewsner D, Egger M.
Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy.
Lancet 2005 Aug 27
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16125589&query_hl=3

Abstract:

1: Lancet. 2005 Aug 27-Sep 2;366(9487):726-32. Related Articles, Links Click here to read Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy.

Shang A, Huwiler-Muntener K, Nartey L, Juni P, Dorig S, Sterne JA, Pewsner D, Egger M. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. BACKGROUND: Homoeopathy is widely used, but specific effects of homoeopathic remedies seem implausible. Bias in the conduct and reporting of trials is a possible explanation for positive findings of trials of both homoeopathy and conventional medicine. We analysed trials of homoeopathy and conventional medicine and estimated treatment effects in trials least likely to be affected by bias. METHODS: Placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy were identified by a comprehensive literature search, which covered 19 electronic databases, reference lists of relevant papers, and contacts with experts. Trials in conventional medicine matched to homoeopathy trials for disorder and type of outcome were randomly selected from the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (issue 1, 2003). Data were extracted in duplicate and outcomes coded so that odds ratios below 1 indicated benefit. Trials described as double-blind, with adequate randomisation, were assumed to be of higher methodological quality. Bias effects were examined in funnel plots and meta-regression models. FINDINGS: 110 homoeopathy trials and 110 matched conventional-medicine trials were analysed. The median study size was 65 participants (range ten to 1573). 21 homoeopathy trials (19%) and nine (8%) conventional-medicine trials were of higher quality. In both groups, smaller trials and those of lower quality showed more beneficial treatment effects than larger and higher-quality trials. When the analysis was restricted to large trials of higher quality, the odds ratio was 0.88 (95% CI 0.65-1.19) for homoeopathy (eight trials) and 0.58 (0.39-0.85) for conventional medicine (six trials). INTERPRETATION: Biases are present in placebo-controlled trials of both homoeopathy and conventional medicine. When account was taken for these biases in the analysis, there was weak evidence for a specific effect of homoeopathic remedies, but strong evidence for specific effects of conventional interventions. This finding is compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homoeopathy are placebo effects. PMID: 16125589 [PubMed – in process]

Keywords:
homeopathy placebo

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter: Homeopathic medications are widely prescribed by alternative health practitioners. Patients often proudly declare that they ar taking homeopathic drops. They are almost universally unaware of what is in the drops – or more to the point what is not in the drops.
If the drops contain anything at all, apart from water, it is tiny- almost undetectable- quantities of plant extract or common salts.
The theory of homeopathy being that the more a substance is diluted down, the more powerful it becomes.
When this is explained to patients they usually, correctly, reject the idea as being counter-intuitive and biologically impossible.
So there are 3 fundamental deceptions in homeopathy.
1/. The medicine has no therapeutic value above placebo.
2/. The medicine costs almost nothing to make ,yet is expensive to purchase.
3/.The lack of contents in the bottle of drops is never explained to the patient and neither is the theory of homeopathy as the practitioner knows that the patients will reject the theory for the nonsense that it is.
This study in the Lancet shows, as one might expect, that homeopathy is no more effective than placebo.