Those herbal remedies youre taking for your health may actually interact with your prescription drugs, altering their effectiveness or increasing the risk of bleeding or other cardiovascular problems. A new Mayo Clinic review of nearly 90 studies over the past 44 years warns that patients and physicians may be dangerously unaware of the ways herbal nostrums can interact with common cardiovascular medications. Some herbs, researchers noted, affect the metabolism of medications much as grapefruit juice does. Other popular supplements, including ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, ginseng and garlic, have their own cardiovascular effects, such as inhibiting platelet aggregation; when combined with common medications such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin), this can cause bleeding. Overall, the review identified 27 herbal products that heart patients should be wary of taking.TO LEARN MORE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Feb. 9, 2010; abstract at dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2009.07.074
