title: [Herbs and cardiotoxic effects].
abstract: Accidental or deliberate ingestion of poisonous herbs has become an increasingly common phenomenon over the last years. From existing literature data and case reports from emergency room visits or poison control centers, an overview is presented of the potential cardiotoxic manifestations following intoxication by wild herbal plants of the territory. The effects of the consumption of cardiac glycoside-containing plants (e.g., digitalis) are discussed along with tachyarrhythmias induced by Aconitum napellus L., Atropa belladonna L., Mandragora officinarum L. or Ephedra distachya L. herbs, and hypertensive crises associated with licorice abuse. For each plant, a brief historical and botanical background is provided, focusing on pathophysiology of intoxication and cardiotoxic effects on the basis of the most recent literature. Finally, medical management of intoxication, from both a general and cardiological viewpoint, is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Dividione di Cardiologia, Ospedale SS, Trinità, ASI, NO, Borgomanero, Milano. stemaffe@libero.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maffè
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paffoni
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laura Colombo
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Davanzo
authors.forename: Pierfranco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dellavesa
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cucchi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zenone
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Paino
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Franchetti Pardo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergamasco
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Signorotti
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Parravicini
mesh_terms: D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000633:toxicity*