CURRENT RESEARCH UPDATES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM BY AYURVEDA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Hypothyroidism is one of the challenging disorders and the burden of this disorder has been growing. The prevalence of the hypothyroidism is 11% in India. This is alarming situation, and it has made many researchers to find solutions in Ayurveda. There are many research articles published on the diagnosis & management of Hypothyroidism as per Ayurveda. It was needed to update the Ayurvedic drugs, procedures proved efficacious in the management of hypothyroidism. Therefore, we made a literature search using certain keywords in various search engines. Total 12 research articles, case studies/series were included. They were summarized, analyzed for search results, and concluded that most of the studies on Hypothyroidism had too low sample size. Secondly, there should be multicentric clinical trials of Ayurvedic drugs. It is also needed that; the research should be done on, if the Ayurvedic medicines to surpass the research on modern medicines for hypothyroidism or can be prescribed as supplementary medication.

Supplementary medication in multiple sclerosis: Real-world experience and potential interference with neurofilament light chain measurement

Background As vitamins and dietary supplements are obtainable without prescription, treating physicians often ignore their intake by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and may therefore miss potential adverse effects and interactions. Objective We aimed to assess the spectrum and intake frequency of supplementary medication in a cohort of MS patients and to analyse the effect of biotin intake on measurement of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), an emerging marker of disease activity. Methods MS patients visiting our neurology outpatient clinic completed a questionnaire on their past or present use of vitamins or dietary supplements. In addition, the impact of two different doses of biotin (10 and 300 mg/day) on sNfL was studied in healthy volunteers. Results Of 186 patients, 72.6% reported taking over-the-counter vitamins or dietary supplements currently or previously. Most frequently used was vitamin D (60.0%), followed by biotin. Female patients and patients with primary progressive MS tended to use supplements more frequently. Biotin intake did not interfere with sNfL measurement by single molecule array (Simoa). Conclusions The use of vitamins and dietary supplements is frequent among patients with MS. Thus, treating physicians should be aware of the pitfalls of supplementary treatment and educate their patients accordingly.