Editing Buteyko method (section)

== Medical evidence ==
Advocates of the Buteyko method claim that it can treat a wide range of other diseases and symptoms (numbering up to 150), including [[diabetes]].  However, studies into the effectiveness of Buteyko have focused almost exclusively on asthma with a small amount of research on [[sleep apnea]].<ref name=Courtney/> Members of the medical community have been skeptical of the efficacy of Buteyko due to the often "exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims" earlier made by Buteyko practitioners.<ref name=Bruton2011/>

There are few high quality studies such as [[randomized controlled trials]] looking at the efficacy of treating asthma with "breathing retraining" methods in general, which include the Buteyko method, [[yoga]] training and other relaxation techniques.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Santino|first1=Thayla A.|last2=Chaves|first2=Gabriela Ss|last3=Freitas|first3=Diana A.|last4=Fregonezi|first4=Guilherme Af|last5=Mendonça|first5=Karla Mpp|date=25 March 2020|title=Breathing exercises for adults with asthma|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2020|issue=3 |pages=CD001277|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001277.pub4|issn=1469-493X|pmc=7096190|pmid=32212422}}</ref>  Many of the studies that have evaluated breathing retraining have significant methodological flaws, including small [[sample size]]s,<ref name=Ernst>{{cite journal |author=Ernst E |title=Breathing techniques--adjunctive treatment modalities for asthma? A systematic review |journal=Eur. Respir. J. |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=969–72 |date=May 2000 |pmid=10853868 |doi= 10.1183/09031936.00.15596900|doi-access=free }}</ref> possible patient [[selection bias]] as well as heterogeneity in design that makes coming to a firm conclusion difficult.<ref name=Gyorik>{{cite journal |vauthors=Györik SA, Brutsche MH |title=Complementary and alternative medicine for bronchial asthma: is there new evidence? |journal=Curr Opin Pulm Med |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=37–43 |date=January 2004 |pmid=14749604 |doi= 10.1097/00063198-200401000-00007|s2cid=25254146 }}</ref>  These studies are also hampered by the difficulty in proper [[blind experiment|blinding]] and [[placebo]] control which could introduce more bias into these studies.<ref name=Ernst />

In 2015 the [[Department of Health (Australia)|Australian Government's Department of Health]] published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered by [[health insurance]]; the Buteyko method was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found.<ref name=aus17>{{cite web |url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/0E9129B3574FCA53CA257BF0001ACD11/$File/Natural%20Therapies%20Overview%20Report%20Final%20with%20copyright%2011%20March.pdf |publisher=Australian Government &ndash; Department of Health |author=Baggoley C |title=Review of the Australian Government Rebate on Natural Therapies for Private Health Insurance |year=2015 |access-date=12 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626024750/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/0E9129B3574FCA53CA257BF0001ACD11/$File/Natural%20Therapies%20Overview%20Report%20Final%20with%20copyright%2011%20March.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A 2020 [[Cochrane review]] has found that breathing exercises may have some positive impact on quality of life, hyperventilation symptoms and lung function (moderate to very low certainty).<ref name=":0" /> A 2014 British [[clinical guideline]] said that for adults the Buteyko method could improve some asthma symptoms and quality of life, but that it had little impact on lung function.<ref name=sign>{{cite journal |title=British guideline on the management of asthma |journal=Thorax |volume=69 |pages=1–192 |year=2014 |pmid=25323740 |type=Practice guideline|author1=Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network |issue=Suppl 1 }}</ref>