Often when a patient visits their doctor for cardiovascular problems, the medical professional hands them a prescription for certain medications. These drugs have their place, but there is a host of other remedies that may provide similar benefits with a lower risk of side effects. These alternatives may help individuals with their personal change management.
In order to determine which complementary therapies are the most effective for treating heart conditions like high cholesterol and hypertension, a team of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center recently reviewed scientific evidence on a number of herbal and alternative treatments.
Their findings showed that nutrients like coenzyme Q10 and potassium, herbal extracts like mistletoe and hawthorne, and treatments like acupuncture can all have positive effects on a person's blood pressure.
However, the team cautioned that some widely used herbal remedies, including St. John's wart, ephedra, yohimbine and licorice, can all increase a person's blood pressure. Furthermore, if a patient stops taking their prescribed medications in favor of alternative therapies, this may also create a dangerous situation, the researchers said.
The findings could help doctors understand which products to recommend to their patients and which to stay away from. Herbal and alternative remedies can provide valuable spiritual growth resources to individuals when they are used properly. They may also help people rely less on powerful pharmaceuticals, which may harm their well-being in the long-run.
"Patients have different backgrounds and different approaches to living their lives," said study author Kevin Woolf. "This is where the art of medicine comes in; getting to know patients and what they will and will not embrace can help physicians identify different therapies that suit their patients' habits and that will hopefully make a difference for them."
