Back ground: Herbal medicine  has become a popular treatment among patients with chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus worldwide. Many patients with diabetes mellitus use herbal medicine without consulting their health professionals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, pattern of use, and perceptions in type 2 diabetes patients using herbal medicine.

Study design

It is cross sectional ,quantitative research study  

Place and duration of study: The study was conducted during the period of 1st January 2019 to the end of June 2019 in the diabetes clinic in Farwaniya hospital in Kuwait.

Methods: A total 350 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this study from diabetes clinic in Farwaniya hospital in Kuwait . Data were collected using a questionnaire  in both Arabic and English designed by the investigators after a review of the literature on use of herbal medicine. The questionnaire was administered by working nurses.

Results: The study denoted that the prevalence of using herbal medicine in the study sample (350 patients with type 2 diabetes) was 30.6% of all sample, females were greater than males in using herbal medicine about 56% of patients using, herbs. Black cumin (ie Habba Soda) was the most frequent herbs used by the patients and a herbal mixture done by herbalist. The study revealed that 70% of herbal users has bad glycemic control HbA1c  7% and the diabetes complications were greater in herbal users than on conventional therapy.The study showed that irregular use of herbs that were used with diabetes conventional treatment and the majority of herbal users did not inform their treating doctors about herbal use (95.3% )herbal users

Conclusion: The study revealed that 30% of the sample were herbal users and they are in need for increase their awareness and education about  risks and complications of herbal medicine.

Professor Dr Ibrahim El- Bayoumy  holds bachelor of medicine and surgery (Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt,1989),then he earned his master degree in public health, preventive and social medicine (Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt1996),and MD,PhD in public health ,preventive and social medicine 2003 from Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt and McGill faculty of medicine –Montreal -Canada in division of clinical epidemiology in Royal Victoria hospital  through double channel system as scholarship from ministry of education-Egypt. He is  Full  professor of public health and community medicine in Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt since November 2016 . 

Now I am working  working in ministry of health in Kuwait as consultant of public health and preventive medicine.

I am lecturer of public health for post graduate Diploma and Master degree of public health in university of South Wales-UK since March 2021

I am also adjunct professor of public health in School of public health-Texila American university Guyana-South America and I have supervised 24 PhD projects since 2018

Dr El Bayoumy has published many research works in international journals, he is interested in research in epidemiology of infectious diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, brucellosis and infectious hepatitis ,he is interested in epidemiology of chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus and its health economics ,obesity and cancer and pharmacoepidemiology. He is a reviewer of many national and international journals. 

He has obtained  post-graduate Master  degree is diabetes care and education-Dundee faculty of medicine-Scotland –UK  October 2015.

He was invited speaker in many international conferences in China. South Korea .Japan, and Hong Kong, Malaysia , Dubai ,Kuwait  and USA.