Healthy Heart facts

Herbal medications are known for their many benefits on the immune system, however recent research has revealed that herbal medications do in fact interact with heart disease prescription medications.

St Johns Wort used to treat depression was one of the herbs shown to have an effect on heart disease drugs. St Johns Wort works by stimulating metabolising enzymes responsible for breakdown and removal of drugs from the body. This therefore decreases concentration of many essential heart disease drugs meaning they are not doing their job. One such group of drugs affected by st Johns wort are high blood pressure medications, therefore patients on this type of medication may end up with uncontrolled hypertension.

Garlic and Ginkgo Biloba were also shown to increase the risk of bleeding in patients taking warfarin or aspirin.

Before taking any herbal remedies please consult your physician if you are on any heart disease medications.