HAWTHORN (Crataegus oxyacantha) HAWTHORN (Crataegus oxyacantha)Common Uses
Heart conditions (caution in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), cancer, kidney disease
Hawthorn is a well-known heart and vascular tonic, often prescribed for pets with early congestive heart failure. It may be a possible alternative to digitalis. Hawthorn also possesses antioxidant properties. Although not as potent as foxglove, hawthorn is much safer. The active ingredients in foxglove are the drugs digoxin and digitoxin. However, hawthorn does not appear to have any single active ingredient, although the flavonoid and proanthocyanidins have been suggested as the active components. This has prevented it from being turned into a drug.
Like foxglove and the drugs made from it, hawthorn appears to improve the heart’s pumping ability. But it offers one very important advantage. Digitalis and some other medications that increase the power of the heart also make it more irritable and liable to dangerous irregularities of rhythm. In contrast, hawthorn has the unique property of both strengthening the heart and stabilizing it against arrhythmias by lengthening what is called the refractory period, the short period following a heartbeat during which the heart cannot beat again. Many irregularities of heart rhythm begin with an early beat. Digitalis shortens the refractory period, making such a premature beat more likely, while hawthorn protects against such potentially dangerous breaks in the heart’s even rhythm. Also, with digitalis the difference between the proper dosage and the toxic dosage is very small.
Hawthorn has an enormous range of safe dosing.
In people, several double-blind studies strongly suggest that hawthorn is an effective treatment for congestive heart failure. Comparative studies suggest that hawthorn is about as effective as a low dose of the conventional drug captopril (a relative of enalapril, used in pets with heart failure), although whether it produces the same long-term benefits as captopril is unknown.
Due to the flavonoid content, hawthorn is often recommended for pets with heart disease, heartworm disease, and kidney disease. The flavonoids appear to decrease “leakiness” of the capillaries, improve cardiac blood flow by dilating coronary arteries, and improve the contractility of the heart. Hawthorn may also be useful in controlling mild heart arrhythmias. It may act by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase or as an ACE inhibitor, making it a possible substitute for drugs such as enalapril (Enacard). Doctors may prescribe hawthorn for pets with chemotherapy, especially when the drug chosen for chemotherapy may produce cardiac side effects.
In people, the standard dosage of hawthorn is 100 to 300 mg 3 times daily of an extract standardized to contain about 2 to 3% flavonoids or 18 to 20% procyanidins. Full effects appear to take several weeks or months to develop.
Hawthorn is safe to feed to animals; older animals that may be prone to heart or kidney disease can be given hawthorn on a daily basis. Caution is warranted in pets with low blood pressure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In people, side effects are rare, mostly consisting of mild stomach upset and occasional allergic reactions (skin rash).
Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver, heart or kidney disease has not been established. Similar concerns in pets are probably warranted.