title: The frequency of using herbal medicines among patients with hypertension in Kerman, Iran, 2012-2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of medicinal plants has dramatically increased in recent years. Given the increasing rate of hypertension and medical plants usage by these patients and considering drug interactions due to concomitant use with drugs, the present study aims to evaluate the rate of medicinal plants usage in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study (descriptive-analytical) in which 650 hypertensive patients referring to the subspecialty clinic of Kerman were questioned about medicinal plants usage by a medicinal plants questionnaire. Among these patients, there were 612 who consented to participate. After the variables were described, the data were finally analyzed using Stata 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of those using these drugs in the past year was 58.8 ± 10 years. Of the total number of participants using medicinal plants, there were 58 males (23.5%) and 122 females (33.4%). There were 129 participants (72.5%) using medicinal plants through self-administration, 17 participants (9.5%) on experienced users' advice, 16 participants (9%) as administered by herbalists, and 11 participants (6%) as administered by doctors. However, the most important resources for using a drug that prevents hypertension were family and friends (74 participants; 41.5%) and doctors (13 participants; 7.3%). According to the results, there was no significant difference between the level of education and medicinal plants usage (P = .95); however, there was a significant difference between gender and medicinal plants usage (P = .009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results indicating the relatively high prevalence of medicinal plants usage and their arbitrary use by hypertensive patients without consulting a specialist, it seems necessary to plan for more effective and secure public education and train people to provide herbal drug services for various diseases with hypertension being the most common one.
authors: Herbal and Traditional Medicine Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran h.tajadini@sbmu.ac.ir.
authors: Haleh
authors: H
authors: Tajadini
authors: Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Kouros
authors: K
authors: Divsalar
authors: Herbal and Traditional Medicine Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mitra
authors: M
authors: Mehrabani
authors: Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Ali Akbar
authors: AA
authors: Haghdoost
authors: Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Esmaili
authors: Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mitra
authors: M
authors: Shadkam
authors: Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Moradi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: herbal medicines; hypertensive; self-administration