Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036341 (schizophrenia)
 60,220 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds occurring naturally in food and are necessary for good health. Lack of a vitamin may lead to a specific deficiency syndrome, which may be primary (due to inadequate diet) or secondary (due to malabsorption or to increased metabolic need), and it is rational to use high-dose vitamin supplementation in situations where these clinical conditions exist. However, pharmacological doses of vitamins are claimed to be of value in a wide variety of conditions which have no, or only a superficial, resemblance to the classic vitamin deficiency syndromes. The enormous literature on which these claims are based consists mainly of uncontrolled clinical trials or anecdotal reports. Only a few studies have made use of the techniques of randomisation and double-blinding. Evidence from such studies reveals a beneficial therapeutic effect of vitamin E in intermittent claudication and fibrocystic breast disease and of vitamin C in pressure sores, but the use of vitamin A in acne vulgaris, vitamin E in angina pectoris, hyperlipidaemia and enhancement of athletic capacity, of vitamin C in advanced cancer, and niacin in schizophrenia has been rejected. Evidence is conflicting or inconclusive as to the use of vitamin C in the common cold, asthma and enhancement of athletic capacity, of pantothenic acid in osteoarthritis, and folic acid (folacin) in neural tube defects. Most of the vitamins have been reported to cause adverse effects when ingested in excessive doses. It is therefore worthwhile to consider the risk-benefit ratio before embarking upon the use of high-dose vitamin supplementation for disorders were proof of efficacy is lacking.
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PMID:Vitamin therapy in the absence of obvious deficiency. What is the evidence? 623 Feb 19

About the 'Omnipotence' of the Chelation Therapy In the eighties the 'method of treatment proven in many thousands of cases over 20 years' was transferred from the USA to Germany (enjoys a priori considerable faith) using very dubious promises. It was Clarke et al. who introduced this 'therapy' in 1955. The dubious promise was to maintain that the chelation therapy eliminates or alleviates symptoms in the case of the following illnesses: Alzheimer's disease, senility, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, renal calculus, apoplectic coma, gallstones, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, varicose veins, hypertension, failure of memory, scleroderma, Raynaud's disease, digitalis intoxication, intermittent claudication, diabetic ulcer, disturbance of the blood supply, ulcer on the legs, snake poison, impotence, emotional difficulties, defective hearing, vision disorder. There is not the slightest proof of effectiveness for any of the listed indications. The burden of proof lies with the supplier. Even in the case of the relatively often examined peripheral atherosclerotic changes (claudicatio intermittens) there is no proof that EDTA has a greater effect than placebo. For coronary heart disease too there is no evidence for any usefulness of the chelation therapy beyond that of a placebo effect. Only controlled studies can help to improve the therapy in the sense of 'Evidence-based medicine'. Retrospective investigations on thousands of patients cannot 'prove' anything, although this is maintained again andagain.
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PMID:ber die laquo;Omnipotenz>> der Chelattherapie. 997 59

Ginkgo biloba special extract (EGb761) is used in most randomized control trials. Indications include cognition and memory in Alzheimer disease, age-associated dementia, cerebral insufficiency, intermittent claudication, schizophrenia, and multi-infarct dementia. Dosages range from 80 to 720 mg/d for durations of 2 weeks to 2 years. Mechanisms of action include increasing cerebral blood flow, antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects, with antiplatelet effects attributed to flavone and terpene lactones. Possible interactions with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, alprazolam, haloperidol, warfarin, and nifedipine have been reported. Optimal dosage/duration, dose-response characteristics, drug interactions, bioavailability, long-term effects, and optimal intervention timing should be the focus of future work.
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PMID:Ginkgo biloba: indications, mechanisms, and safety. 2353 78