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Background. Hydrolysed collagen supplements are reported to fight the signs of aging and improve skin appearance, but more authoritative clinical evidence is needed to support efficacy. Aim. This randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study evaluated the efficacy of a supplement containing hydrolysed collagen and vitamin C (Absolute Collagen, AC) on biophysical parameters and visible signs of aging for skin, scalp, and hair, when taken daily or every 48 hours. Methods. We measured dermal collagen using confocal microscopy and high‐resolution ultrasound. Hydration, elasticity, wrinkles, and clinical trichoscopy were measured in parallel to expert visual grading. Efficacy measures were recorded at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Results. Following 12 weeks daily use of the AC supplement, using confocal microscopy, we observed a significant 44.6% decrease in fragmentation vs. placebo (p < 0.01). We also measured a change in the ultrasound LEP (low echogenic pixel) ratio comparing upper and lower dermis (−9.24 vs. −7.83, respectively, p = 0.05), suggesting collagen improvements occurred more in the upper dermal compartment. After 12 weeks vs. placebo, skin hydration was increased by 13.8% (p < 0.01), R2 elasticity index was increased by 22.7% (p<0.01), and Rz profilometry index was decreased by 19.6% (p < 0.01). Trichoscopy showed an average 11.0% improvement in scalp scaling and a 27.6% increase in the total number of hairs counted vs. placebo (p = n.s.). This was associated with a 31.9% increase in clinical grading score for hair healthy appearance (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The AC supplement has shown clinical benefits for skin, scalp, and hair, when used either daily or every 48 hours, over a 12‐week period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To pilot an investigation of individualized homeopathy for symptoms of estrogen withdrawal in breast cancer survivors.Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.Outpatient department of a National Health Service (NHS) homeopathic hospital.Fifty-seven (57) women met inclusion criteria and 53 were randomized to the study.After 2 weeks of baseline assessment, all participants received a consultation plus either oral homeopathic medicine or placebo, assessed every 4 weeks for 16 weeks.The primary outcome measures were the activity score and profile score of the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP).Eighty-five percent (85%) (45/53) of women completed the study. There was no evidence of a difference seen between groups for either activity (adjusted difference =–0.4, 95% confidence interval CI–1.0 to 0.2,= 0.17) or profile scores (adjusted difference =–0.4, 95% CI–0.9 to 0.1,= 0.13) using this trial design, althoughpower calculations suggests that 65–175 would be needed per group to detect differences of this magnitude with sufficient precision. Clinically relevant improvements in symptoms and mooddisturbance were seen for both groups over the study period.Improvements were seen for symptom scores over the study period. However, presuming these improvements were caused by the individualized homeopathic approach, the study failed to show clearly that the specific effect of the remedy added further to the nonspecific effects of the consultation. Future trial design must ensure adequate power to account for the nonspecific impact of such complex individualized interventions while pragmatic designs may more readily answer questions of clinical and cost effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the reproducibility of evidence from two previous trials that homeopathy differs from placebo. Homeopathic immunotherapy as test model; Test on patients with allergic asthma; Use of a daily visual analogue scale of overall symptom intensity.

Presents an evidence-poem on the ability of placebo thought to make one blush. Projection of the intimacy of oneself in blushing; Clearness of looking things in one context; Association of placebo response to the description of things in the poetry.