Shows promise in the treatment of congestive heart failure

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, almost 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure, a progressive and lethal disease if left untreated. Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF die within five years, and there are an estimated 400,000 new cases each year. Even with existing therapies, the mortality rate remains high, and the quality of life is significantly impaired.

What is CHF?

The condition is caused by and/or exacerbated by hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and excessive alcohol consumption. Patients with CHF are unable to pump blood out of their heart efficiently, because of weak and dilated heart chambers. As a result, congestion may occur in the lungs or the circulatory system, giving rise to a variety of symptoms including edema, reduced circulation, and reduced urine output during the day and increased urine output at night. In order to compensate for insufficient circulation, the heart increases the number of contractions. This results in an enlargement of the muscle itself, a progressive thickening of the heart muscle fibers and enlarged chamber volume. The increased tissue mass increases the heart's need for oxygen¹⁶, which is why people with CHF have difficulty breathing.

CHF is a difficult condition to treat. Hawthorn, however, has been shown to increase survival time and improve quality of life, by actually improving circulation in the heart itself.

Hawthorn has shown promise in both uncontrolled and controlled clinical trials in the treatment of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II congestive heart failure-defined as "fatigue or shortness of breath during heavy exertion and possibly during normal activities."¹⁷ 

A very recent double-blind study of 143 patients shows the efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of hawthorn berries in patients with cardiac failure. For eight weeks, the patients had their work output on an ergometer bicycle measured. The group taking hawthorn extract three times a day showed less fatigue and shortness of breath than the group taking the placebo. The researchers concluded that patients taking hawthorn over a period of time could expect improvement in their heart failure condition.¹⁸ 

A similar study of 136 patients showed an improvement in shortness of breath, ankle edema, and restricted physical performance. Patients also reported a "better sense of mental well-being."¹⁹ 

When patients taking hawthorn extract were compared to patients taking the ACE inhibitor Captopril in a double-blind study, hawthorn was shown to produce similar benefits to the drug without any serious side effects.²⁰

Produces a relaxing effect inside the arterial wall

Nitric oxide is produced by endothelial cells that line your blood vessels. It is responsible for causing all of the capillaries and little blood vessels to relax and go to their biggest open position rather than half-closed or tightly-closed position, as you would find in someone with high blood pressure. In other words, nitric oxide production is essential to allow the unobstructed flow of blood throughout your vessels.

But if the endothelial cells are damaged from free radicals, inflammation or contain heavy metals, nitric oxide production is impaired. Endothelial dysfunction, as it is called, has been linked to hypertension, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, diabetes, blood clots, infection, and heart failure.²¹ 

A study in which hawthorn extract was given to rats, indicates that its procyanidins produce an endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aorta, which is good news for individuals with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.²²

Conclusion

Though heart disease continues to plaque our nation as the #1 killer, hawthorn is an exceptional, safe herb for strengthening the heart muscle, and benefiting a number of heart ailments. In fact, in Eat Right for Your Type (Putnam Pub. Group, 1997), Peter D'Adamo writes, "If I had my way, extracts of hawthorn would be used to fortify breakfast cereals, just as vitamins are."

Combined with a healthy diet, exercise, stress-reduction techniques, and other nutritional supplements, including an excellent vitamin/mineral supplement, CoQ10, and cardio-support nutrients such as taurine, folic acid, and red wine polyphenols, hawthorn may be just what you need to create a heart wellness program that will protect your heart and arteries … and give you peace of mind. 

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