03.01.10
Common herbal products such as Ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort and garlic could pose a health risk to patients taking certain heart medications, according to a new review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Mixing herbs and drugs also could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding, according to the report, titled “Use of Herbal Products and Potential Interactions in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.” Herbal supplements may also intensify side effects of prescription heart drugs such as blood thinners and cholesterol-lowering statins, the report stated. Douglas MacKay, ND, vice president, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C., said the article contains “sweeping generalizations, often not backed by relevant citations, and copious factual errors, including a reference to products—some of which are not actually herbal supplements—that produce adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.”
“We question how a peer-reviewed publication would even accept an article such as this, given the fact that the authors make conclusions about ‘herbal remedies’ based on their own uninformed, inaccurate, and outdated interpretation of the law which covers dietary supplements, including herbal supplements,” he said. The article also fails to acknowledge important changes in regulations governing dietary supplements. There is “no basis” for the author’s conclusions about the lack of safety of commonly used herbal products, he added. “In fact, in the first full year that the law requiring manufacturers to report serious adverse events was in effect, FDA reported receiving 1080 adverse event reports, only 672 of which were considered serious—for all dietary supplement products (vitamins, minerals, herbals, sports supplements, weight loss supplements and specialty supplements). For the same year, FDA received over 526,000 adverse event reports related to drugs and biologic products, over 300,000 of which were considered serious, including close to 50,000 deaths.”
“We question how a peer-reviewed publication would even accept an article such as this, given the fact that the authors make conclusions about ‘herbal remedies’ based on their own uninformed, inaccurate, and outdated interpretation of the law which covers dietary supplements, including herbal supplements,” he said. The article also fails to acknowledge important changes in regulations governing dietary supplements. There is “no basis” for the author’s conclusions about the lack of safety of commonly used herbal products, he added. “In fact, in the first full year that the law requiring manufacturers to report serious adverse events was in effect, FDA reported receiving 1080 adverse event reports, only 672 of which were considered serious—for all dietary supplement products (vitamins, minerals, herbals, sports supplements, weight loss supplements and specialty supplements). For the same year, FDA received over 526,000 adverse event reports related to drugs and biologic products, over 300,000 of which were considered serious, including close to 50,000 deaths.”