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evidence · mechanism · dose
Supplements/Herb

Hawthorn

aka Crataegus spp.

Cardiotonic herb traditionally used for mild heart failure and mild hypertension.

Cardiovascular Health

Overview

Cardiotonic herb traditionally used for mild heart failure and mild hypertension.

Natural sources
  • Crataegus berry/leaf
Common forms
  • WS 1442 standardized

Mechanism of action

Oligomeric procyanidins inhibit cAMP-PDE and enhance coronary blood flow.

Pathways
  • · PDE inhibition
  • · NO ↑

Effects on the body

Supports
Cardiac output

Organ system effects

Cardiovascular

Improves exercise tolerance in NYHA class II HF.

Evidence-based benefits

Improves symptoms in mild heart failure (NYHA I–II)

Moderate evidence

Potential side effects

Common
  • · Dizziness
Rare
    Serious

      Drug interactions

      Digoxin / antihypertensives
      Additive effects.
      moderate

      Safety & non-supplemental interactions

      Educational summary — always confirm with your clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining with prescription therapy.

      Avoid if you are
      • ·Pregnant or breastfeeding (insufficient safety data)
      • ·Children under 18 (unless directed by a clinician)
      Avoid with these conditions
      • ·Bleeding disorders
      Avoid / monitor with these medications
      • ·Warfarin, DOACs, antiplatelets, NSAIDs (additive bleeding risk)
      Before surgery
      • ·Discuss stopping ≥2 weeks before scheduled surgery.

      Supplement interactions

      Pairs well with

      None listed.

      Avoid combining with

      No specific avoidances listed.

      Dosing & bioavailability

      Typical dose
      300–900 mg WS 1442/d

      Where to buy

      Affiliate-style search links to reputable retailers. We don't endorse specific brands — verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

      Herb
      Hawthorn
      Amazon
      Wide selection · fast shipping
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      Global delivery · curated brands
      Herb
      Hawthorn
      Thorne
      Practitioner-grade · NSF tested

      Scientific evidence (8)

      Meta-analysisCochrane Database · 2008

      Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure

      Pittler MH, et al.

      Cochrane review of 14 RCTs of hawthorn in CHF.

      Key findings

      Significant improvement in symptoms and exercise tolerance vs placebo.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — Improves symptoms in mild heart failure

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn Improves symptoms in mild heart failure" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "Improves symptoms in mild heart failure". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — randomized controlled trial

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — meta-analysis

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — pharmacokinetics

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — safety adverse events

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Hawthorn — dose response

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Hawthorn dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Hawthorn and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

      Google Scholar: Hawthorn — clinical evidence

      Live Scholar search

      Cross-database citation index for Hawthorn as it relates to "clinical evidence".

      Key findings

      Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

      Open study
      Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.