New Zealand - WHY do they have highest hospital admission rates for asthma in Western world?

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Health food store asthma advice alarms experts

13.09.2002

By ANGELA GREGORY Health reporter

Staff in health food shops often recommend natural remedies that can trigger

allergic responses, say researchers.

Their study, published in today's New Zealand Medical Journal, also found

that some health shop assistants actively discouraged a customer with asthma

symptoms from seeking medical advice and treatment.

The medical researchers want regulations for health food stores that promote

herbal products for medical conditions.

The study results have alarmed the Medical Association.

New Zealand has one of the highest hospital admission rates for asthma in

the Western world, and the disease is one of the most common causes of child

admissions in this country.

A researcher with symptoms suggesting moderate to severe asthma had gone to

pharmacies and health food stores.

The 21-year-old woman gave a two-month history of wheezing following a chest

infection and said she had developed a night-time cough.

She told the shop assistants her wheezing had been relieved by the use of a

friend's asthma inhaler, which she showed them.

The research results showed 22 out of 26 pharmacy staff diagnosed asthma or

probable asthma, but only 15 out of 26 health food store staff reached the

same conclusion.

While 92 per cent of the pharmacy staff referred the woman to a doctor, just

35 per cent of the health store staff did - and five advised against going

to a doctor.

A number of herbal products were recommended but the researchers found no

references to support their use in asthma.

The researchers, who included academics from the Wellington School of

Medicine and Health Sciences, were concerned about how often the natural

substance echinacea was recommended, as it could trigger allergic reactions.

" Plainly, closer regulation of this substance and other herbal products is

required, " they said.

They were also disappointed that the health shop assistants had at times

warned against prescription antibiotics and corticosteroids because of their

many side-effects.

That was despite the fact that inhaled corticosteroids were the cornerstone

of treatment for all but the mildest forms of asthma.

The researchers said it was also a major worry that some health shop

assistants had actively discouraged seeking medical advice.

Health stores promoting herbal products for medical conditions should be

regulated in a similar way to medical practitioners and pharmacists who

prescribed or dispensed pharmaceutical products, they said.

Medical Association chairman Dr agreed, saying the study

uncovered some disturbing results. " Untreated asthma is a dangerous illness

and can cause death, " he said. " To recommend against seeing a GP is

alarming. "

Many people believed natural products were harmless but some could have

serious side-effects.

Alternative treatment should be subject to the same scientific testing as

medicines, said Dr .

" If this does not happen those promoting alternative treatments should not

make unproven claims about their efficacy. "

A Ministry of Health spokesman said the regulation of natural medicines was

being jointly studied with Australia.

Natural healthcare industry adviser Ron Law said the survey seemed to relate

to the quality and safety of advice, not health products.

Mr Law said a professional competency bill now before Parliament would

include herbalists.