According to the review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, mixing herbs and drugs could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding. Moreover, herbal remedies may increase the potency of prescription drugs for heart disease or dampen their effect, experts concluded.
Dr Arshad Jahangir, Professor of Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist, at the Mayo Clinic, said: “Many people have a false sense of security about these herbal products because they are seen as ‘natural’. But ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean they are safe. Every compound we consume has some effect on the body, which is, in essence, why people are taking these products to begin with.”
Dr Jahangir further explained that St John’s Wort, typically used for mild depression and sleep problems can reduce the effect of drugs to treat heart rhythm problems and high blood pressure. It may also increase blood cholesterol levels that may contribute to heart problems. Ginkgo biloba, taken by some to boost their immune system or ‘sharpen’ their attention and increase energy levels can increase the risk of bleeding in patients taking blood thinners warfarin and aspirin.
According to him, the bigger concern is that patients don’t discuss their herbal medications with doctors, as they do not view them as medications in the first place. Jahangir cited reports that said that more than 15 million Americans use herbal remedies and therefore emphasised that both doctors and patients need to be aware of the potential harm herbal products can have.
“Stay away from the four G’s: garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, and ginger,” says Elsa-Grace Giardina, MD, a cardiologist at Columbia University, in New York, who has studied herbal remedies and heart drugs but did not participate in the current report. “They all have effects on bleeding.”
Even grapefruit juice, which people often drink for weight loss and heart health, can increase the blood concentration of statins, raising the risk of liver damage and muscle pain, the report states.
Douglas Mackay, vice president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry association, encourages patients to inform their doctors of their herbal remedies. “Many herbal supplements offer healthful benefits and fibre, garlic, and Hawthorne provide heart health benefits, and the potential risk for a drug interaction can be eliminated by speaking openly with your doctor,” he says.
Written by Snigdha Taduri for Biomed-ME