Crataegus laevigata, or English hawthorn, is a small, thorny tree that belongs to the rose family. Several species of hawthorn are used medicinally, and all appear to contain the same active constituents, according to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Medicine." Hawthorn's most popular use is as a heart tonic, and the plant's leaves, flowers and berries have all been employed in this capacity. Hawthorn is not approved in the United States for treating heart conditions. Like many herbal remedies, it can interact with other herbs and prescription medications.
Hawthorn's Constituents and Properties
Hawthorn contains flavonoids and oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs, which confer antioxidant properties to hawthorn preparations. "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines" reports that these agents improve blood flow through the coronary arteries, reduce blood pressure and alter the electrical properties of heart muscle. This latter property, which is similar to some prescription anti-arrhythmic drugs, accounts for hawthorn's reputed ability to alleviate abnormal heart rhythms. Hawthorn is not approved in the United States for treating abnormal heart rhythms.
Metoprolol Uses
Metoprolol is a prescription medication which belongs to a class of drugs called beta-blockers. It is used to treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and angina, which is chest pain caused by coronary artery disease. Metoprolol has additional medical uses, such as prevention of migraine headaches, but its use in cardiovascular diseases is most prominent. Like hawthorn, metoprolol can alter your heart's electrical properties, but it appears to do so through a different mechanism. Hawthorn appears to increase your heart rate, while metoprolol will often slow it.
Taking Hawthorn and Metoprolol Together
According to the February 2010 "American Family Physician," hawthorn leaf and flower are specifically recommended by European experts who use this herb to treat cardiac conditions. However, it is assumed that all of hawthorn's parts contain the same constituents, and, although there are no documented interactions between hawthorn and metoprolol, both of these agents affect the electrical activity of your heart. Hence, there is a theoretical risk of interaction between hawthorn and metoprolol.
Considerations and Precautions
Both metoprolol and hawthorn exert effects on the electrical activity of your heart. While the specific actions of metoprolol have been identified, those of hawthorn remain poorly defined. Furthermore, since hawthorn is classified as a dietary supplement in the United States, the purity and concentration of over-the-counter hawthorn preparations can vary considerably. Most physicians who use hawthorn recommend daily doses between 600 and 1,800 mg. If you are taking metoprolol, you should avoid hawthorn or any other supplement which can affect your heart's function until you have spoken with your physician.
References
- "Prescription for Herbal Healing: Hawthorn"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2002
- "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines: English Hawthorn"; Thomas Fleming, Pharm.D., Chief Editor; 2000
- "American Family Physician"; Health Effects of Hawthorn; S. Dahmer, E. Scott; February 2010
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