Hawthorn Eases Heart Failure Symptoms

A review of 14 previously published studies has found that the herb hawthorn is helpful for symptoms of chronic heart failure. Compared to a placebo, hawthorn was found to be better at improving exercise endurance and strengthening heart muscle contractions. Side effects were infrequent and mild and included nausea, dizziness and heart and digestive complaints. In most of the studies, hawthorn was used alongside conventional care and didn't replace it.

Unfortunately, none of the studies examined whether hawthorn had any effect on mortality. A large study, whose results were released last year, found limited benefit. It wasn't included in this analysis because it hasn't been published yet.

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