According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, hawthorn has been used medicinally since the 1st century to manage various ailments, especially heart disease. Hawthorn is most commonly known for its use in heart failure and is typically used as adjunct therapy with conventional medicines, such as digoxin. However, taking hawthorn with other heart medicines may cause potential interactions. Consult with your doctor before using hawthorn.
About Digoxin
Digoxin is a medicine that is commonly used to treat certain heart problems, such as heart failure. Heart failure is when your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of your body. If you have heart failure, digoxin can help your heart to pump blood, which will alleviate symptoms such as shortness of breath. Digoxin also works to slow down and regulate your heart rate.
How Hawthorn Works
The leaves, flowers and berries of hawthorn contain substances called bioflavonoids that produce beneficial effects on the heart. Bioflavonoids are a group of naturally occurring compounds in plants that are the plant's pigments and also have antioxidant properties. Hawthorn works by increasing your heart's force of contraction and lessening resistance in your blood vessels to improve blood flow.
Effectiveness
Studies suggest that hawthorn may be beneficial for managing chronic heart failure. A study published in the journal Arzneimittel-Forschung in October 2001 showed that hawthorn produced significant benefits in relieving symptoms and improving exercise capacity in people with chronic heart failure after three months of treatment. An analysis of 14 hawthorn trials published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in January 2008 corroborated the safety and effectiveness of hawthorn for treating heart failure.
Hawthorn and Digoxin
Hawthorn has an effect on the heart that is similar to that of digoxin. If you take hawthorn and digoxin together, your heartbeats may become too forceful or too slow. These effects may possibly cause dangerous changes in your heart rhythm and serious health consequences. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking hawthorn and digoxin together.
References
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Hawthorn
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Digoxin
- "Arzneimittel-Forschung": Actions of Standardized Extract of Crataegus Berries on Exercise Tolerance and Quality of Life in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure; N Rietbrock, et al; October 2001
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews": Hawthorn Extract for Treating Chronic Heart Failure; M Pittler, et al; January 2008
- Drug Digest: Hawthorn
