Talk:List of pseudosciences and pseudoscientific concepts/AM

Outcomes Study

"Anthroposophic Therapies in Chrnoic Disease: the Anthroposophic Medicine Outcomes Study (AMOS)", European Journal of Medical Research (2004) 9: 351-360

• H. J. Hamre, Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg
• C. Becker-Witt, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin
• A. Glockmann, Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg
• R. Ziegler, Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim
• S. N. Willich, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin
• H. Kiene, Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg

Results

"Substantial, consistent and stable improvements of disease symptoms and HRQoL were observed during the 2-year follow-up."

"In this study anthroposophic therapies were associated with substantial long-term reduction of disease severi- ty and improvement of health-related quality of life in patients with musculoskeletal and mental disorders, headache syndromes, asthma and other chronic dis- eases. Considering the long disease duration before en- rolment (average 6 ½ years), these results are encour- aging. The favourable outcomes were associated with a low frequency of adverse effects and were not accom- panied by an increase in health costs. "

Respiratory and ear infections study

Anthroposophic vs. conventional therapy of acute respiratory and ear infections: a prospective outcomes study, Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 2005, 117(7-8): 256-268

Harald J. Hamre1, Michael Fischer2, Marianne Heger3, David Riley4, Max Haidvogl5,Erik Baars6, Eileen Bristol7, Michael Evans8, Reinhard Schwarz9, Helmut Kiene1

1: Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg, Germany
2: ClinResearch GmbH, Cologne, Germany
3: Research Center HomInt, Karlsruhe, Germany
4: University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Integrative Medicine Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
5: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Homeopathy, Graz, Austria
6: Louis Bolk Instituut, Driebergen, The Netherlands
7: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
8: Stroud, UK
9: Graz, Austria

Results

" Study results suggest that anthroposophic treatment of primary care patients with acute respiratory and ear infections is safe and at least as effective as conventional treatment."

Swiss Health Technology Assessment Report

Gunver Kienle MD, Helmut Kiene MD, Hans Ulrich Albonico, MD, Anthroposophic Medicine Effectiveness, Utility, Costs Safety ; Reviewers, Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology IFAEMM, Schauinslandstrasse 6, DE-70189 Bad Krozingen. Schattauer Verlag, Stuttgart-New York (Schattauer GmbH, Hölderlinstrasse3, DE-70174, Stuttgart, Germany). ISBN-10: 3-7945-2495-0 ISBN-13: 978-3-7945-2495-2

Results

In a comprehensive review of studies of anthroposophic medicine (AM): " 195 studies were analysed: 186 studies had positive results for the AM-Group (similar or better result compared to conventional therapy regarding at least 1 clinical parameter). 8 studies showed neither positive nor negative results. 1 study showed a negative trend. The practical relevance was throughout the studies high. The quality of the studies varied from very to good to very poor (in particular the retrospective comparative studies). The satisfaction of the patients was high. The positive results were still relevant, if the analysis was restricted to the qualitatively good studies."

Study of treatment of mental illness

"Anthroposophic Art Therapy in Chronic Disease: A Four-Year Prospective Cohort Study". EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , Pages 365 - 371 H . Hamre , C . Witt , A . Glockmann , R . Ziegler , S . Willich , H . Kiene

Results

"Most common indications were mental disorders (60.9% of patients, primarily depression, fatigue, and anxiety) and neurological diseases (6.8%). The median number of therapy sessions was 15; median therapy duration was 161 days. All outcomes except KINDL improved significantly between baseline and all subsequent follow-ups. Improvements from baseline to 12 months were: disease score from (mean ± standard deviation) 6.69 ± 1.72 to 2.46 ± 1.90 (P < .001), symptom score from 5.99 ± 1.69 to 3.40 ± 2.08 (P < .001), SF-36 physical component summary measure from 44.12 ± 10.03 to 48.68 ± 9.47 (P < .001), and SF-36 mental component summary measure from 35.07 ± 12.23 to 42.13 ± 11.51 (P < .001). All these improvements were maintained until last follow-up."

Conclusion "Patients receiving anthroposophic art therapy had long-term reduction of chronic disease symptoms and improvement of quality of life."

Chronic depression

"Anthroposophic therapy for chronic depression: a four-year prospective cohort study" BMC Psychiatry. 2006; 6: 57.

Harald J Hamre, 1 Claudia M Witt,2 Anja Glockmann,1 Renatus Ziegler,3 Stefan N Willich,2 and Helmut Kiene1
1Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Böcklerstr. 5, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
2Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Campus Mitte, 10098 Berlin, Germany
3Society for Cancer Research, Kirschweg 9, 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland 
Corresponding author.

Published online 2006 December 15. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-6-57. PMC 1764730

Results

"In outpatients with chronic depression, anthroposophic therapies were followed by long-term clinical improvement."

Study of Iscador (mistletoe) treatment

"Randomised and non-randomised prospective controlled cohort studies in matched-pair design for the long-term therapy of breast cancer patients with a mistletoe preparation (Iscador): a re-analysis", Eur J Med Res (2006) 11: 485-495

• R. Grossarth-Maticek, Institute for Preventive Medicine, and European Center for Peace and Development (ECPD), Heidelberg, Germany,
• R. Ziegler, Institute Hiscia, Verein für Krebsforschung, Arlesheim, Switzerland

Results

• In a randomized study: "the conservative analysis (Table 5) yields convincing evidence in favour of Iscador"; a non-randomized study was also performed.

Relation to science and medicine

• "Anthroposophically Extended Medicine (AEM) is a comprehensive healing system that successfully integrates biomedicine with a more complete understanding of human reality... anthroposophy offers the clinician new possibilities for scientific investigation...AEM emerged this century as a truly integrative healing system, a way of moving the boundaries of medicine beyond an exclusively biochemical, mechanical view of the human being. Its approach brings together insights from allopathy, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other schools of healing. The unique qualities of living systems, the nature of consciousness, and the reality of the self can be fully investigated only within an expanded scientific framework." Ira S. Cantor MD and Steven Rosenzweig MD, "Anthroposophic perspectives in primary care"
• "Anthroposophic medicine is provided by medical doctors and therapists in hospital and outpatient settings as an extension of conventional medicine." ANTHROPOSOPHIC THERAPIES IN CHRONIC DISEASE: THE ANTHROPOSOPHIC MEDICINE OUTCOMES STUDY (AMOS)

Other studies that support the efficacy and/or scientific recognition of AM

• Klotter, Jule (May 2006). Anthroposophical Medicine. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, 24(1):274
• Alm, J. S., Swartz, J., Lilja, G., Scheynius, A., and Pershagen, G. (1999). Atopy in children of families with an anthroposophic lifestyle. Lancet, 353(9163):1485-8. PMID 10232315
• Hamre et al., "Anthroposophic vs. conventional therapy for chronic low back pain: a prospective comparative study." European Journal of Medical Research, 2007, 12(7), 302-10
• PMID 3409209, 1990 study,
• PMID 8067703,
• PMID 9179366, 1981 study,
• PMID 9042260,
• PMID 16101142,
• PMID 10550903.
• "Iscador / Mistletoe / Viscumalbum / Plenosol / Helixor / Iscucin", published by the BC Cancer Agency (2007).