Prevalence of using herbal drugs as anti-diabetic agents in Taif Area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency and prevalence of using herbal drugs in treatment of diabetes in Taif area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Structured questionnaire was the main instrument used to collect information to evaluate the attitude of respondents towards use of herbal medicine. In all, 228 diabetic patients were subjected to this study from clinics in 3 major hospitals in Taif - KSA (King Faisal Hospital (KFH), King Abdul-Aziz Hospital (KASH), Alhada Armed Forces Hospital over a 4-month and 20-day period. Results: Out of the 228 diabetics, (24.6%) of those patients were using herbs, more than half of them 31 (55.4%) were males and half of them 28 (50%) and were aged 50 years and above. Interestingly, when exploring the commonly used herbs, a total of 20 different herbal names were reported to be used by the surveyed diabetics. The top four used herbs were fenugreek, nigella, myrrh and garlic with a frequency of 57.1, 44.6, 42.9 and 32.1%, respectively. Conclusion and recommendation: About one-fourth of diabetic patients in this study were using herbs and the most frequently used herbs were fenugreek, nigella, myrrh and garlic. Pharmacists should be referred for consultation regarding the use of herbal remedies. In addition, knowledge about herbal drugs should be updated to the pharmacists and physicians through continued scientific programs. Public awareness about herbal remedies should be considered to guide the public for the trusted and safe source of information when it is needed.