The growing number of Americans who are taking traditional herbal medications for heart problems are unaware of the dangers those treatments pose, a new report says.

“They may be safe,” said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a consultant cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and author of a report in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. “But in the United States, where patients often take multiple medications, there is a potential for harm.”

While up-to-date statistics aren’t available, it appears that more than 15 million Americans are using herbal remedies and the number is growing, Jahangir said.

“Consumers of these products think they are not getting proper attention from their physicians,” he said. “The typical hands-on communication between physician and patient is getting compromised, and they are seeking that type of relationship.”

Popular herbal remedies such as St. John’s wort “have been used traditionally in populations where there are no other medications to use,” Jahangir said. But now multiple medications are common for older people, so “anyone taking herbal products needs to pay attention to the advice of their medical providers, and they often don’t ask for that advice,” he said.

Herbal medications can affect the activity of prescription drugs, dampening or enhancing their effects, Jahangir said. For example, St. John’s wort, which is used for a number of conditions, including depression and sleep disturbances, has its major effect on the liver, which is involved in the metabolism of many drugs, especially those for heart disease, he said.

“If you take it on top of these medications, their activity will be reduced — blood pressure medications, rhythm-controlling medications,” Jahangir said. “Most important, it can have an effect for transplant patients, since it is immunosuppressive.”

Other herbs can also be problematic.

Ginkgo biloba, which is supposed to sharpen the mind, increases bleeding risk in those taking the blood-thinner warfarin or aspirin, while garlic, which is believed to boost the immune system, can increase the chances of bleeding among those taking warfarin, the researchers noted.

Even grapefruit juice, recommended as an aid in weight-loss programs, has potential dangers, he noted. It interferes with enzymes that break down drugs in the digestive system, including the statins used to lower cholesterol levels and amiodarone (Cordarone), used to treat and prevent abnormal heart rhythms, Jahangir said.

“Anyone taking alternative medical and herbal products needs to bring it to the attention of their medical providers,” Jahangir said. “Often they don’t, and physicians don’t actively seek that information.”

There is no formal count of Americans taking such medications, said Dr. Wallace Sampson, clinical professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University, and founder and editor emeritus of the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, a decided skeptic on the issue. The most-cited data come from a survey whose results were published in 1993. The best current estimate is that up to 30 percent of the U.S. population turn to herbal remedies and similar unapproved medications, Sampson noted.

There are periodic reports about the potential dangers of such remedies, Sampson added. “There are quite a number of them in the medical literature, targeted to different specialties,” he said. “Cardiac ones are quite high on the list, also drugs that affect the immune system.”

Most controlled studies of alternative medications have not shown benefit, “but when you do enough studies you get a few positive results and that keeps the field alive,” Sampson said.

Negative results haven’t killed the hope that herbal medications can help, he said: “It’s a free country, and all you can do is educate and hope people learn.”

Technorati Tags: blood pressure medications, herbal medications, Herbal remedies, potential dangers of herbal remedies

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Taking ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort and other widely used herbal supplements may be risky for people on heart disease medication, especially the elderly, according to a medical review released on Monday.

Some herbal remedies may increase the potency of prescription drugs for heart disease or make them less effective, a team of experts concluded.

Mixing herbs and drugs also could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding, according to the review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Use of herbal supplements among elderly patients is especially concerning because they typically have more than one disease, take multiple medications and already are at greater risk of bleeding, the report said.

Previous studies have sounded alarms about use of herbal supplements which are not regulated like traditional medicines. This review examined how supplements and cardiovascular drugs may interact.

“We can see the effect of some of these herb-drug interactions — some of which can be life-threatening — on tests for blood clotting, liver enzymes and, with some medications, on electrocardiogram,” Dr. Arshad Jahangir of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona said in a telephone interview.

Many patients fail to disclose their use of herbal remedies so healthcare providers should be more probing, Jahangir said in a telephone interview.

“We need to be actively ask about alternative or complementary medicine patients may be seeking on their own to assess these potential interactions or side affects,” said Jahangir, a cardiologist.

“They don’t even consider that herbs could have a negative effect,” he said. “Their impression is that ‘natural’ is safe,”

Jahangir said doctors and patients need to know about the potential harm herbal products can have, citing reports that more than 15 million Americans use herbal remedies.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry trade association, said the article represents a biased, poorly written and contrived attack on herbal supplements.

“Many herbal supplements offer healthful benefits and fiber, garlic, and Hawthorne provide heart health benefits, and the potential risk for a drug interaction can be eliminated by speaking openly with your doctor,” the group’s vice president, Douglas MacKay, said in a statement.

“If consumers are buying from reputable companies, they can feel confident in the quality and safety of these products,” MacKay added.

Ginkgo biloba is taken to sharpen cognitive skills and St. John’s wort is used to fight depression and sleep disorders.

The Nutritional Business Journal, an industry publication, estimates U.S. consumer sales of supplements climbed more than 6 percent in 2008 to reach $25.2 billion.

(Editing by Maggie Fox and Bill Trott)

Technorati Tags: drug interaction, healthcare, heart drugs, Herbal remedies, Mixing herbs and drugs

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There is no doubt to say that Viagra has achieved great milestone in the humankind. This pill is known for treating impotency. This drug is manufactured by the pharmaceutical boss Pfizer. This pill has recorded hundreds of thousands of pill sales across the world. There are many other natural, Ayurveda, Unani medicines which can treat impotency. These are preferred more because they are herbal in nature. This is why Viagra started to lost its charm.

However the maker decided to launch the herbal version of this pill in the name of herbal Viagra. Herbal Viagra is also manufactured by the same company but contains herbal components which do not pose any harmful effect to your health. Herbal Viagra acts as the best male enhancement pill. It does not claim to increase the size of the penis but it promises to improve overall sexual activity. There is no pill in this world which can increase your penis size so you should be aware of several fake ads shown on TV and internet about pills increasing the penis size.

The best male enhancement pill is one which aim to provide the penis better blood supply and which does not pose harmful effects onto the health. Herbal Viagra is perfect to serve this purpose. Some of the benefits attached to herbal Viagra include curing impotency, better erections, long lasting performance on bed, enhanced sex libido and sex stamina and many more.

Herbal Viagra works to increase the blood flow to focus better on the corpus cavernosa of the penis. The corpus cavernosa is made up of spongy tissues which when engorged with blood makes the penis harder leading to perfect erections. Herbal Viagra is very beneficial for people suffering from erectile dysfunction problem because it can lead to perfect rock solid erections to satisfy your woman to the fullest.

Where to buy herbal Viagra?

Herbal Viagra is a non-prescribed pill which can be taken without consulting your doctor. But the advisable thing is to consult your doctor before employing it because that will help in knowing whether the pill is right for your body type of not. Not a single pill work s for all individuals. Therefore a doctor can guide you in using the best pill to treat your sex problem.

There are many online companies which offer herbal Viagra pills but one should take care while selecting any company as there are few fake companies which offer inferior quality pills and rip off your money. Therefore cross check the credibility and reliability of the company before taking the pills. Ask your friend or relative who has purchased pills from any good company or search through the internet to know about the credible sites.

Technorati Tags: about herbal viagra, herbal viagra, herbal viagra pills, viagra, where to buy herbal viagra

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Blood pressure (strictly speaking: vascular pressure) refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as blood moves through arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and veins; the term blood pressure generally refers to arterial pressure, i.e., the pressure in the larger arteries, arteries being the blood vessels which take blood away from the heart. Arterial pressure is most commonly measured via a sphygmo manometer, which uses the height of a column of mercury to reflect the circulating pressure (see Non-invasive measurement). Although many modern vascular pressure devices no longer use mercury, vascular pressure values are still universally reported in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). The systolic arterial pressure is defined as the peak pressure in the arteries, which occurs near the beginning of the cardiac cycle; the diastolic arterial pressure is the lowest pressure (at the resting phase of the cardiac cycle). The average pressure throughout the cardiac cycle is reported as mean arterial pressure; the pulse pressure reflects the difference between the maximum and minimum pressures measured.Typical values for a resting, healthy adult human are approximately 120 mmHg (16 kPa) systolic and 80 mmHg (11 kPa) diastolic (written as 120/80 mmHg, and spoken as “one twenty over eighty”) with large individual variations. These measures of arterial pressure are not static, but undergo natural variations from one heartbeat to another and throughout the day (in a circadian rhythm); they also change in response to stress, nutritional factors, drugs, or disease. Hypertension refers to arterial pressure being abnormally high, as opposed to hypotension, when it is abnormally low.

Along with body temperature, blood pressure measurements are the most commonly measured physiological parameters.

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Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It’s a new arrival in the family of cactii and succulent plants that are becoming increasingly popular for their appetite suppressant, and weight loss properties, as well as their ability to lower blood sugar. Supplements made from the popular hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari Desert in Africa, are, for example, growing in popularity and usage in the U.S. and Europe. Like hoodia, caralluma fimbriata has been used to suppress appetite, and as a portable food for hunting. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite, and enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes considered a “famine food,” used during periods of famine to suppress appetite. For centuries, people in rural areas of India have eaten Caralluma fimbriata, which grows wild over various parts of the country. Caralluma fimbriata is cooked as a vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or eaten raw. Caralluma fimbriata is believed to block the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned. Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to have an effect on the appetite control mechanism of the brain. Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when using Caralluma fimbriata, and the plant has no known toxicity. A patented, tested extract of Caralluma fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company called Gencor. Known as “Slimaluma,” the extract delivers the plant in a concentrated form. One of the only products available in the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma formula is Country Life’s GenaSlim supplement, which combines the patented Slimaluma extract of Caralluma fimbriata with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea. Together they reportedly have a synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In several clinical trials Slimaluma was shown to be effective in reducing body fat through appetite control.

If you’re interested in trying this product for weight control, you can compare prices now from various online vendors.

Technorati Tags: caralluma, caralluma fimbriata, natural weight loss, weight loss products

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Grapefruit seed extract is a natural antibiotic used for many different types of skin ailments. It is a powerful ingredient to aid in the healing of skin damage. Grapefruit seed extract helps to restore damaged collagen and elastin, which strengthens and retextures the skin.

As collagen and elastin are responsible for the skin’s elasticity, improving and stimulating production of the connective tissue cells will prevent skin from tearing and thus prevent the formation of stretch marks. The condition of the skin’s connective tissue also dictates how well the skin contracts after pregnancy. So not only does this compound improve the condition of your stretching skin, after the delivery it will also aid in the contraction of your skin to its previous appearance.

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3% suffer leakage within three years causing a deflated implant.

Occasionally, breast implants may break or leak. The saline fill is salt water and will be absorbed by the body without ill effects. Older implants with silicone gel can leak also. If this occurs, one of two things may occur. If breakage of the implant shell that has a contracture scar around it, then it may not feel like anything has happed. If the shell breaks and there is not a contracture scar, then leakage into the surrounding tissue results in a sensation that the implant is deflating. The leaking gel may collect in the breast and a new scar may form around it. In other cases gel can migrate through the lymphatic system to another area of the body. Breaks may require a second operation and replacement of the leaking implant. If the gel has migrated it may not be possible to remove all of the silicone gel. This silicone gel is the what some say is related to the initiation of connective tissue disorders.

One study they reviewed showed that 63.6% of breast implants which had been in place for between one and 25 years had ruptured or were leaking. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/33450.stm)

For silicone gel and saline-filled implants, some causes of rupture or deflation include : damage by surgical instruments during surgery, overfilling or underfilling of the implant with saline solution (specific only to saline-filled breast implants), capsular contracture ,closed capsulotomy , stresses such as trauma or intense physical manipulation ,excessive compression during mammographic imaging, placement through umbilical incision ,site injury to the breast, normal aging of the implant ,unknown/unexplained reasons.

Fortunately, natural breast enlargement solution is available and is recommended to try. Probably breast implants won’t be needed after that!

Technorati Tags: breast enlargement, breast enlargement surgery, natural breast enhancement, natural breast enlargement

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Woody Allen’s late 1970s film Love and Death was eerily prophetic, if in name alone, about the Viagra dilemma. The drug enables many men to achieve an erection and regain lost sexual function, but it can also exact a stiff penalty from users. The Food and Drug Administration has reported dozens of deaths among Viagra users. This seems an unnecessarily severe side effect. Concerns about the drug have spurred interest in effective, natural aphrodisiacs without deleterious side effects. Responding to this interest, I set off for the Amazon rain forest in search of sex-enhancing plants. I traveled in the company of a Brazilian shaman named Bernie Peixoto, a man skilled in tribal wisdom and the use of plant medicines. There in the world’s greatest jungle, we encountered two potent sex-boosting plants with a long history of safe use.

Our flight into Brazil put us into the Amazon city of Manaus, where we met with Antonio Matas, the most highly respected herbalist in that area. Antonio shared stories with us about his decades of healing work using rain-forest plants.

Catuaba and Muirapuama: Sex Enhancers?

“What about catuaba and muirapuama?” I inquired. “Are they really effective sex enhancers, or is that just a myth?” He laughed at the question and spread his hands wide open. “There is nothing that compares with catuaba and muirapuama together. I can tell you, I have used these plants with hundreds of people. The old become sexually young again. I have seen impotent men who can have sex for the first time in years. Even healthy couples find that these plants put extra fire in their sex life. These plants are good for men and women.”

I asked Antonio if he used these plants himself. He smiled again. “Sometimes. After all, I’ve been married to the same woman for 43 years.”

Technorati Tags: herbal sex boosters, natural sex boosters, natural sexual enhancement, sex enhancing

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The colon is a very important part of the body in that it is in part, responsible for the elimination of waste in the form of feces. It functions in the capacity of reabsorption of food nutrients and water. However, it is possible for the colon to be unable to carry out its job effectively. When this happens the colon develops what is called an impaction. This is a situation where all or part of the feces that is supposed to be passed out remains in the colon causing constipation and inhibiting normal bowel movements, not to mention other symptoms like bad breath, bloating, abdominal cramps et.c. This waste material that is residual in the colon can result in the toxic poisoning of the system as a result of the reabsorption of the waste materials. When this occurs there is a need for colon cleansing which simply is the cleaning of the large and small intestine of any waste materials that has been lodged there as a result of the bowel’s inability to expel it. Colon cleansing should be regular event in any one’s life given the fact that we all pas feces which can have remnants lodged in our bodies. This is important because it has been shown that the average adult has between five and forty pounds of waste materials deposited in the bowel.

Therefore, you see the need for a regular colon cleansing exercise. However, colon cleansing comes in various methods:

1. The use of Enemas
2. The use of Laxatives
3. Using oxygen-based cleansers
4. Colon hydrotherapy
5. Herbal supplements

As with everything in life, these techniques have both got their pluses and minuses. So, we’ll take a brief look at each of the methods and see how much benefit they each give.1. EnemasEnemas have been known to have been in existence for thousands if years. History has shown it was used in Egypt as a form of treatment for digestive maladies and disorders. Enemas vary – water, clay, and coffee - and so do the results stemming from its use. Most times, enemas just get rid of waste that is deposited and impacting the lower colon. However, enemas cannot function as a melting agent that will melt away all the waste materials. So its use is in a away limited. It is very effective in rectum emptying. The reason some people do not also like using enemas is because they do not like the idea of inserting any form of enema in the rectum.

Technorati Tags: colon cleansing, colon cleansing options, colon cleansing treatments

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