Though a number of studies have been published over the last 8 years describing CAM use in the anticoagulant clinic population, none have explored the specific influence

ethnicity Selleck BIBW2992 may have on the use of CAM amongst patients prescribed warfarin. This could be important, as certain parts of the UK have become increasingly ethnically diverse and different types of CAM may be being consumed by different ethnic groups.[1] The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use amongst patients established on warfarin therapy. A prospective, cross sectional study involving 303 patients established on warfarin therapy was conducted at the anticoagulation clinic of a London teaching hospital. Patients were recruited whilst attending for their routine warfarin INR test. Their use of CAM and awareness for the potential for some of these preparations to interact with warfarin were determined during consultations, along with their ethnicity. Additional

information regarding the patient’s warfarin therapy, including the patient’s time in therapeutic range (TTR) and the specific indication for warfarin, was collected from the anticoagulant clinics computerised patient records. Ethics committee approval was not required, as the consultation was part of routine clinical care. Of the 84 patients (27.7%) who reported use of CAM, 66 (78.6%) were using herbal medicines, Ku-0059436 datasheet vitamins

or mineral supplements documented to interact with warfarin. Commonly reported CAMs that were being consumed by the cohort questioned included cod liver/fish oil, chondroitin and glucosamine supplements and garlic capsules, similar to what has been reported by other groups. A significant proportion of patients (51.7%) were unaware of the potential for these interactions to exist. Ethnicity did not impact on whether a patient used a CAM or not or the type of CAM used. Furthermore, no significant relationship between the use of CAM and the TTR with warfarin were found, when comparisons Tyrosine-protein kinase BLK were made between CAM and non-CAM users, suggesting that any interactions that do occur may not be clinically significant (Mean TTR CAM users- 64.91%, mean TTR non-CAM users- 64.64%, p = 0.568). This study describes the prevalence of CAM use in a subset of patients established on anticoagulant therapy and provides valuable information regarding the use of potentially interacting CAM in patients prescribed warfarin. No significant differences were found between the use of CAM amongst different ethnic groups or the effects of CAM use on TTR results. Overall, of those found to be using CAM, a significant number (78.6% of total CAM users) were using CAM known to interact with warfarin with limited awareness for the potential for CAM-warfarin interactions.