title: Safety of herbal medicine in treatment of weight loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a common health problem in both developed and developing countries. There are many unconventional therapies, including herbal medicine, to treat this condition. Some people believe that herbal medicines are safe. This case and review is about adverse complication of treating obesity with some herbal medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 19 year old male with sever obesity (120 kg) used green tea (15 cups of green tea per day) and an intensive dietary regimen to lose weight. He lost 30 kg after 2 months. At that time, one day after usual exercise he suddenly lost consciousness due to left ventricular fibrillation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of herbal medicine for weight reduction is not always safe. Moreover, for some herbal medicine the risk is sufficient to shift the risk-beneﬁt balance against the use that medicine.
authors: Assistant Professor, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Jamshid
authors: J
authors: Najafian
authors: Associate Professor, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Morteza
authors: M
authors: Abdar-Esfahani
authors: Resident, Hypertension Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Morteza
authors: M
authors: Arab-Momeni
authors: Researcher Assistant, Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Afshan
authors: A
authors: Akhavan-Tabib
keywords: Complication; Herbal Medicine; Obesity; Sudden Death