Herbal remedies are increasingly common as some people try to limit their consumption of prescription medications and turn to more natural options. The problem is, natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe or safe for you, particularly if you have other issues, such as heart disease.
Statistics show that more than 15 million Americans reportedly use herbal remedies or high-dose vitamins. Of course, the number could be higher because not everyone reports what they take. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic decided to review the use of natural supplements and their interaction with heart disease medications to see what types of concerns, if any, doctors and patients should have. In the case of people with heart disease, natural supplements can affect the efficacy of the medications and cause heart irregularities, called arrhythmias.
Examples include:
- St. John’s wort, which is typically used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders among other problems, reduces the effectiveness of medications contributing to recurrences of arrhythmia, high blood pressure or increase in blood cholesterol levels and risk for future heart problems.
- Ginkgo biloba, which is supposedly used to improve circulation or sharpen the mind, increases bleeding risk in those taking warfarin or aspirin.
- Garlic, which supposedly helps boost the immune system and is commonly used for its cholesterol and blood pressure lowering properties, can also increase the risk of bleeding among those taking warfarin.
Two nationwide surveys conducted in 1990 and 1997 found that the number of visits to complementary and alternative providers increased from 427 million to 629 million, whereas the number of visits to primary care physicians remained basically unchanged.
This reinforces the knowledge that people are taking these products but not necessarily with their doctors’ knowledge.
The researchers and doctors don’t say that patients shouldn’t take natural or herbal supplements, but what is important is sharing the information that patients are taking them. Doctors who know which patients are taking which supplements could tailor their prescriptions. At the same time, the natural health practitioners should know what medications their patients are taking because they can then better advise them about the supplements.
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Post from: Blisstree