2015, Pages 515–529
Chapter 24 – Uses of Herbals in Cardiac Diseases: Priority of Evidence Over Belief
Abstract
Herbs
have been used in the treatment of human disease since ancient time,
and several drugs from herbs (e.g., morphine, reserpine, atropine,
taxol, digitalis, etc.) have become mainstays of modern medicine. Herbs
have been used in patients with different cardiovascular diseases
(CVDs), i.e., congestive heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery
disease, cerebral insufficiency, venous insufficiency, and arrhythmia.
However, many herbal therapies being used these days are based on
“belief” rather than evidence and have undergone very little or no
scientific assessment. Several herbs have the potential to cause serious
adverse and toxic effects, and they may have major herb–drug
interactions. Considering the high prevalence of herbal “drug” use in
India and other countries, either as part of the traditional system of
medicine or otherwise, scientific efforts have been initiated to instil
evidence into the traditional beliefs and to thrash out the potential
benefits from possible harm. In this regard, more research is needed to
establish the efficacies of herbals through proper preclinical and
clinical research, especially in chronic disease conditions like CVD.
Keywords
- Animal studies;
- Cardiovascular disease;
- Herbs;
- Human studies;
- Medicinal plants
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
