The Canadian journal of cardiology
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Review
Cardiovascular adverse effects of herbal medicines: a systematic review of the recent literature.
Herbal medicines are popular but health care professionals often feel uncertain about their risks. This article summarizes recent evidence regarding the serious or potentially serious cardiovascular adverse effects of herbal medicines. Five electronic literature databases were searched. ⋯ Because of the anecdotal nature of the evidence, it is impossible to estimate the incidence of adverse effects. In conclusion, herbal medicinal products are regularly associated with serious cardiovascular adverse events but the size of this problem cannot be estimated at present. Vigilance and research seem to be the best way forward.