February 22, 2008 – The extract of the fruits and flowers of the hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) could help in the treatment of congestive heart failure, which makes the heart unable to provide enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
The prestigious Cochrane Database of Systematic Review published the results of an analysis1-2 of ten placebo-controlled clinical trials in 855 patients with heart failure. Hawthorn extract, compared to a placebo, is believed to relieve symptoms of the disease without causing significant side effects, the results show.
The patients who participated in the clinical trials suffered from Class I to Class III congestive heart failure. According to the results, the extract would improve exercise capacity (maximum power supported) as well as exercise tolerance (endurance). The extract would also have the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rate, while improving the index of oxygen consumption by the heart of treated patients, report the authors of the study. Characteristic symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, were therefore relieved.
Although the effectiveness of hawthorn is well established in treating heart failure, patients with this condition should consult their doctor before taking hawthorn, which is available over the counter, the researchers stress. This disease requires a medical diagnosis and its treatment often involves the administration of several drugs whose multiple interactions may require close medical monitoring.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters Health.
1. Pittler M, Guo R, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jan 23; (1): CD005312.