By Cara Murray HealthDay Reporter
(health day)
MONDAY, Dec. 12, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s tempting to follow the latest trends when it comes to health care, but for patients living with heart failure, some alternative treatments can have serious consequences.
To address this issue, the American Heart Association (AHA) has published a new scientific statement covering a wide range of alternative therapies and their impact on heart failure. It also provides guidance for health care professionals and recommendations for patients.
“Patients should talk to their health care team first,” he said Dr. Sheryl Chowwho was part of the AHA’s writing group for the statement.
The AHA paper provides guidance on supplements such as CoQ10, vitamin D, ginkgo, devil’s claw, fish oil, thiamine, hawthorn, vitamin E, blue cohosh, lily of the valley and aloe vera, while offering additional advice on alcohol, caffeine and grapefruit. Interest
“Because these agents are largely unregulated [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]Manufacturers are not required to demonstrate efficacy or safety,” explained Chow, an associate professor of pharmacy practice and administration at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif. “It is important that both health care professionals and consumers are educated about the potential effectiveness. and risk of harm, so that shared and informed decisions can be made.”
The committee also reviewed yoga and tai chi, which are commonly prescribed for relaxation.
About 6 million Americans age 20 and older have heart failure, where their heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. Approximately 30% of these individuals are using alternative therapies.
“Consumers do not realize that the FDA does not regulate the purity, quality and strength of OTC products. [over-the-counter] Herbs and supplements. One product can have a very different concentration and purity than another, even if it has the same label in a pharmacy or health food store,” Chow said.
On its list of alternative therapies that may benefit people with heart failure, the AHA said omega-3 fatty acids — also known as fish oil — have the strongest evidence of clinical benefit for people with heart failure.
These can be used in moderation after talking to a doctor, the AHA statement said. It should not be used in doses of 4 grams or more because higher doses may increase irregular heart rhythms.
“Omega-3 PUFA is associated with a lower risk of developing heart failure and, for those who already have heart failure, improved heart pumping capacity,” the statement said.
Yoga and Tai Chi also have benefits, lowering blood pressure and improving a person’s exercise tolerance, plus quality of life.
Despite the fact that low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with worse heart failure outcomes, taking this supplement may be harmful if a person is also taking certain heart failure medications.
Supplements from the root of a flowering plant called blue cohosh can cause rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, chest pain and elevated blood sugar levels, the statement warned.
Studies on other therapies, including thiamine, alcohol, vitamin E, CoQ10 and hawthorn, have mixed findings. More research and controlled trials are needed to better understand the risks and benefits, Chow said.
Although this scientific statement is focused on heart failure patients, Chow said, the guidance is equally important for people with other health problems.
The statement was published online on December 8 in the journal Circulation.
Dr. Michelle KittlesonDirector of heart failure research at the Schmidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said he was pleased to see the new AHA guidance.
Although Kittleson considers herself an expert in the care of patients with heart failure, even with that level of knowledge it’s easy to get lost about the best strategies to manage when patients are taking alternative medications, she said.
“If you look at this statement, there are 210 references. It’s a meaty, heavy statement. The experts who wrote it did all the hard work, so we don’t have to,” Kittleson said.
While many physicians don’t ask patients about any of these therapies, they should because of interactions with traditional heart medications, Kittleson adds.
She noted that patients sometimes seek advice about additional steps they can take to improve their own heart health.
“I think sometimes you come to your doctor and ask him about something. And the doctor’s like, ‘Oh gosh, I don’t know that,'” she added. “You lose some trust and credibility in that patient-physician relationship.”
“This gives us a step in the right direction to say, ‘I’m so glad you asked,'” Kittleson said. “I have this incredible reference that really mixes up all the information about how it’s going to affect your heart health. Let’s review and see what’s right for you.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more Heart failure.
Sources: Sherrill Chow, PharmD, associate professor, pharmacy practice and administration, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, Calif. and fellow, American Heart Association; Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, Heart Failure Research, Smit Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; American Heart Association Statement, CirculationDecember 8, 2022, online
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