Electrocardiographic and hemodynamic effects of Panax ginseng.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Panax ginseng ingestion can acutely or chronically alter electrocardiographic parameters: PR, QRS, QT, QTc, and RR intervals, and QT and QTc interval dispersion. Effects of P. ginseng on blood pressure and heart rate also were evaluated.


METHODS
This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of healthy adults at the University of Connecticut. Thirty subjects were randomly allocated to receive 28 days of therapy with either P. ginseng extract 200 mg or placebo. Baseline 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained. Subsequent ECGs were performed following study drug ingestion at 50 minutes, 2 hours, and 5 hours on days 1 and 28. Blood pressure readings were taken with each ECG.


RESULTS
P. ginseng ingestion increased the QTc interval by 0.015 seconds on day 1 at 2 hours compared with the placebo group (p = 0.03). It also reduced diastolic blood pressure from 75 +/- 5 mm Hg at baseline to 70 +/- 6 mm Hg at the same time point (p = 0.02). The observed effects are not believed to be clinically significant. No other statistically significant changes were found in electrocardiographic or hemodynamic variables on days 1 or 28.


CONCLUSIONS
P. ginseng, at doses of 200 mg of the extract daily, increases the QTc interval and decreases diastolic blood pressure 2 hours after ingestion in healthy adults on the first day of therapy.
Caron
Michael F
MF
School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Hotsko
Audrea L
AL
Robertson
Stacy
S
Mandybur
Lilia
L
Kluger
Jeffrey
J
White
C Michael
CM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005894:Panax; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D010936:Plant Extracts