Homeopathy effective for 0 out of 68 illnesses, study finds

A leading scientist has declared homeopathy a "therapeutic dead-end" after a systematic review concluded the controversial treatment was no more effective than placebo drugs. Professor Paul Glasziou, a leading academic in evidence based medicine at Bond University, was the chair of a working party by the National Health and Medical Research Council which was tasked with reviewing the evidence of 176 trials of homeopathy to establish if the treatment is valid. A total of 57 systematic reviews, containing the 176 individual studies, focused on 68 different health conditions - and found there to be no evidence homeopathy was more effective than placebo on any.

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine based on the idea of diluting a substance in water. According to the NHS: “Practitioners believe that the more a substance is diluted in this way, the greater its power to treat symptoms. Many homeopathic remedies consist of substances that have been diluted many times in water until there is none or almost none of the original substance left.”

The review found “no discernible convincing effects beyond placebo” and concluded “there was no reliable evidence from research in humans that homeopathy was effective for treating the range of health conditions considered".

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/homeopathy-therapeutic-dead-end-systematic-review-no-evidence-it-works-a6884356.html

I always thought that homeopathic medicine had a placebo effect, but that can be a very powerful thing in itself.

Raggamuffin wrote:I always thought that homeopathic medicine had a placebo effect, but that can be a very powerful thing in itself.

It did mention that Rags.

The review found “no discernible convincing effects beyond placebo” and concluded “there was no reliable evidence from research in humans that homeopathy was effective for treating the range of health conditions considered".

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:I always thought that homeopathic medicine had a placebo effect, but that can be a very powerful thing in itself.

It did mention that Rags.

The review found “no discernible convincing effects beyond placebo” and concluded “there was no reliable evidence from research in humans that homeopathy was effective for treating the range of health conditions considered".

Yes.

The placebo effect can skew the results of trials to quite a large degree, but I think it can be harnessed much more than it is. Even if people are taking a real drug with proven efficacy, it's possible that there's still a placebo effect in some people since we know that not all drugs work on all people. This is where the issue of psychosomatic illness comes in. That doesn't mean that an illness is imaginary, it just means that it could be caused by psychological problems.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


It did mention that Rags.

The review found “no discernible convincing effects beyond placebo” and concluded “there was no reliable evidence from research in humans that homeopathy was effective for treating the range of health conditions considered".

Yes.

The placebo effect can skew the results of trials to quite a large degree, but I think it can be harnessed much more than it is. Even if people are taking a real drug with proven efficacy, it's possible that there's still a placebo effect in some people since we know that not all drugs work on all people. This is where the issue of psychosomatic illness comes in. That doesn't mean that an illness is imaginary, it just means that it could be caused by psychological problems.

 

Well be my guest and have a read of the report to see if your assumptions are valid or correct
First link from

Paul Glasziou is professor of evidence based medicine at Bond University and a part time general practitioner.



http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2016/02/16/paul-glasziou-still-no-evidence-for-homeopathy/


Then here is the details and links to the study:



Homeopathy is a type of complementary and alternative medicine that is commonly used in Australia and around the world.
NHMRC has reviewed the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating a variety of clinical conditions with the aim of providing Australians with reliable information about its use.  The comprehensive assessment of the evidence included:

• a systematic review of the evidence from available systematic reviews (an overview) on the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating a variety of clinical conditions in humans
  
  
  
• a report on evidence submitted to the NHMRC prior to the commencement of the review
  
  
  
• a report on evidence submitted to the NHMRC during public consultation on the draft Information Paper; and
  
  
  
• consideration of published guidelines and other government reports.
  
  

The evidence identified in this assessment of the evidence has been summarised in a NHMRC Information Paper, which informed the development of NHMRC’s position on homeopathy. A NHMRC Statement has also been developed, based on the assessment of the evidence.
The NHMRC Information Paper and Statement, Administrative Report and the supporting evidence review reports, are available on the NHMRC website via the following links:

• NHMRC Statement: Statement on Homeopathy
  
  
  
• NHMRC Information Paper - Evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating health conditions
  
  
  
• Administrative Report - NHMRC advice on the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating health conditions
  
  

The Administrative Report provides a brief summary of the processes underpinning the homeopathy review, as well links to a number of additional documents:

• Frequently Asked Questions arising from public consultation
  
  
  
• Summary of key issues: Draft Information Paper on homeopathy—public consultation submissions
  
  
  
• Summary of key issues: Draft Information Paper on homeopathy— expert review comments; and
  
  
  
• A list of studies considered in the Overview and Review of submitted literature.
  
  

Homeopathy Working Committee

A Homeopathy Working Committee was established to guide the evidence review. The committee membership included researchers and experts in evidence-based medicine and complementary medicine.
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-topics/complementary-medicines/homeopathy-review