Implementation of asthma herbal medicine as complementary or alternative treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Citation
Abstract
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are extremely common non-communicable diseases (NCD) worldwide and require treatment to improve the quality of life of patients. There are currently multiple therapies for each condition, however, there are considerable side effects, issues with long term use, and co-morbidities. Safe, effective, and accessible novel complementary or alternative therapies are required for people worldwide.
Herbal medicine constitutes the foundation of modern medicine and is used as complementary, or primary treatment in various parts of the world. Furthermore, it generally has a positive response from the population as it is often associated with fewer side effects and higher accessibility while providing considerable efficacy. Exploration of herbal extracts as complementary and/or alternative medicine in asthma and COPD may allow for development of novel, safe, and effective therapies accessible to a wide range of people worldwide.
The objective of this thesis is to provide an understanding of the efficacy and safety of herbal derivatives that are suggested for use in asthma such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and boswellia as potential treatment in COPD as these conditions present similarly and share elements in their inflammatory cascade.