Hawthorne helps reduce blood pressure in diabetics

Scientists at the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, The University of Reading working in conjunction with physicians in private practice enrolled 79 patients with type 2 diabetes who were taking diabetes medication. 71% of these patients also took medication for high blood pressure. They gave 39 of these patients Hawthorne Extract on a daily basis for 16 weeks while 40 patients received look-alike but inactive placebo. The Hawthorne Extract significantly reduced their diastolic blood pressure (the lower figure in a blood pressure reading) and had a small effect of systolic pressure vs. placebo. There were no drug-herb interactions and minor complaints decreased in both groups. The study is published in the June 2006 issue of the British Journal of General Practice. Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.; reducing diastolic pressure is very significant because this allows the heart to take a mini-rest in between filling up with blood and having to pump it out to the rest of the body.

Terminalia Arjuna reduces the frequency of chest pain (angina) and improves mitral valve function in heart attack patients

Reduced blood flow to the heart is called ischemic heart disease. Often in ischemic heart disease the mitral valve is affected. This valve is a trap door between the upper and lower chambers of the heart on the left side and when it is affected by enlargement of the left ventricle (left-lower-heart chamber) a small amount of blood flows backwards into the upper chamber of the heart; this is called ischemic mitral regurgitation.

In this study 40 patients who recently suffered a heart attack who developed ischemic mitral regurgitation were randomly divided into two groups of 20 each. They were given either inactive placebo or 500mg Terminalia Arjuna in addition to their heart medication. After one-month and again at three-months, those receiving Terminalia Arjuna had a significant decrease in ischemic mitral regurgitation and a considerable reduction in the frequency of anginal (chest-pain) episodes. The study is published in the April 28th. 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cardiology.