title: Hawthorn: potential roles in cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Hawthorn (Crataegus) may play a role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and in particular, congestive heart failure. Evidence is accumulating that hawthorn may induce anti-ischemia/reperfusion-injury, anti-arrhythmic, hypolipidemic and hypotensive effects. These beneficial effects may in part be due to the presence of antioxidant flavonoid components. While a number of studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of hawthorn, an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study including a large number of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/III heart failure patients is ongoing to test hawthorn's long-term therapeutic effects. Further clinical trials as well as pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies are needed to explore and confirm its effectiveness, safety and pharmacological mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Resuscitation Center, Department of Medicine Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Wei-Tien
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.forename: Zuo-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D027825:Crataegus; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations