Hawthorn Aids an Ailing Heart

03 April 2008

Hawthorn extract can improve heart health and vitality in people with chronic heart failure, according to a comprehensive analysis published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

The new review gathered evidence from 14 trials involving 1,110 people using hawthorn for chronic heart failure, summarizing the effects of hawthorn treatment and assessing its safety. The length of treatment ranged from 3 to 16 weeks. All of the trials used a standardized hawthorn extract, with doses ranging from 160 mg to 1,800 mg per day.

Exercise tolerance improved significantly with hawthorn treatment compared with placebo, as did symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue. Hawthorn also improved measures of heart function, enabling more efficient heart contractions. “The best evidence that is available suggests that hawthorn extract has significant benefits as an adjunctive treatment for patients with chronic heart failure,” the team concluded.

Side effects related to hawthorn treatment were rare; when they did occur, they were mild and included dizziness and gastrointestinal complaints.

Hawthorn's actions are attributed to its antioxidant flavonoids. The berries are flavorful and rich in flavonoids, although most commercial extracts contain a mixture of the leaves and flowers, standardized to contain a certain percentage of flavonoids called oligomeric procyanidins. “Although these data suggest that hawthorn extract is relatively safe, self-medication is inappropriate among patients in heart failure, who should be treated by a licensed clinician,” the authors cautioned.

Hawthorn might interact with certain medications, especially those used for heart failure. A knowledgeable healthcare practitioner can help monitor for drug-herb interactions.

“Adding hawthorn to standard therapy for heart failure may improve quality of life in people with heart failure and has the potential to decrease the cost of health care,” said Alan R. Gaby, MD, chief medical editor of Healthnotes, Inc.

(Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008;doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005312.pub2)

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. She cofounded South County Naturopaths in Wakefield, RI. Dr. Beauchamp practices as a birth doula and lectures on topics including whole-foods nutrition, detoxification, and women's health.