Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources Custom e-Health Package Now Includes Expert Medical Information on Herbs, Vitamins and Supplements

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Does ginseng really improve memory? What are the possible side effects of St. John's wort? How much soy is recommended to reduce high cholesterol? Natural supplements have gained notoriety of late, but confusion about the proven benefits, potential risks and dosage of supplements is widespread. To provide answers, Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources has launched a new e-health search tool on herbs, vitamins and supplements for its customized health management site for corporate clients.

Now, useful information on 86 herbs, vitamins and other supplements is easily accessible to employees of HMR clients by logging on to the corporate e-health site and clicking on the "Drugs and Supplements" tab. Users may search for a supplement by name or browse through the alphabetical index. New entries will be added to the site periodically to provide information on 105 supplements by the end of 2004.

The new supplement information is compiled by the international Natural Standard Research Collaboration and offers an evidence-based examination of alternative therapies and thorough, documented research.

"The addition of the Natural Standard supplement database to the customized sites for our corporate clients will provide employees with extensive and timely evidence-based information about many common nutritional supplements," says Phil Hagen, M.D., medical editor of Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources.

Each entry in the database offers helpful information about the supplement's background, alternative names, uses, proven effectiveness, dosage and safety. Users may also utilize the supplement data to:

* Learn the usable parts of each herb and how to prepare various herbal treatments

* Read summarized results of scientific studies testing the effectiveness of supplements

* Consult the convenient A-to-F grading scale, which rates the strength of scientific evidence for or against each supplement's uses

* Find out how particular supplements affect allergies, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources Custom e-Health Package is an online health management solution that bundles health information, interactive behavior change and condition management programs with the Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment and reporting tools. These tools allow organizations to track and evaluate their online programs and better measure and manage the health of their members or employees. Organizations using the service receive aggregate reports on the health and health risks of their members or employees. The site is customized for each organization, and includes content and links to organization-specific information and health initiatives.

In addition to the Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package, Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources provides organizations with books, newsletters and telephonic health management tools. For more information about these services, call 800-430-9699 or visit www.MayoClinicHMR.com. ###

Lisa Lucier
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511 (evenings)
e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

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