Widely-Used Heart Drug May Prove Deadly

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http://www.mercola.com/2002/nov/16/digoxin.htm

 

Widely-Used Heart Drug May Prove Deadly

 

 

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Digoxin, one of the country's best-selling heart drugs, may lead to an increased

risk of death in women. Digoxin is a derivative of the drug digitalis, which is

an herb from the foxglove plant, used to control heart failure. More than 25

million prescriptions for the drug are filled each year.

 

The study assessed whether sex-based differences were apparent in the effects of

digoxin therapy by evaluating 6,800 heart failure patients in the U.S. and

Canada over a three-year period.

 

It was found that women who used digoxin were 4.2 percent more likely to die

during the study than those who used a placebo. Over 33 percent of women taking

digoxin died during the study as opposed to 28.9 percent who took the placebo.

Among men, no increase in death was noted.

 

When differing factors between men and women were accounted for, researchers

found that digoxin increased women's risk of death some 23 percent.

 

A previous study found that digoxin was associated with a decrease in

hospitalization among women. However, researchers point out that this decrease

may not be worth the potential increased risk of death.

 

About 550,000 Americans are diagnosed with heart failure each year; half of

those diagnosed will die within five years. The disease occurs when the heart

cannot pump blood efficiently through the body and usually results from an

underlying heart condition such as coronary artery disease. Digoxin increases

the force of contractions in the heart muscles, allowing the heart to pump more

efficiently.

 

Researchers note that although additional research is needed to confirm results,

digoxin may, in fact, be harmful to women.

 

The New England Journal of Medicine, October 31, 2002;347:1403-1411

 

 

 

 

 

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

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Digoxin is one of the most commonly used drugs for heart failure. It is actually

an herbal extract from the plant foxglove. It has one of the lowest therapeutic

windows of any drug used. In other words, it is incredibly easy to overdose with

digoxin.

 

Why not consider simpler, less toxic approaches?

 

Nutritional Supplements for Heart Failure

 

CoQ10

 

It is virtually criminal to not recommend CoQ10 for heart failure when numerous

clinical trials (American Heart Journal June 2002;143(6):1092-100) have shown

that it is exceptionally helpful in this area. Typical doses are 100 mg per day

but can go as high as 300 mg per day.

 

Carnitine

 

While the normal heart stores more carnitine and CoQ10 than it needs, if the

heart does not have a good supply of oxygen as in congestive heart failure

(CHF), carnitine and CoQ10 levels quickly decrease. Dosage is 500 mg three times

daily

 

Arginine

 

Your body uses this amino acid in the production of nitric oxide, a compound

that helps increase your blood flow. Taken in small doses, it has been shown to

help improve circulation in CHF patients. Arginine is not recommended for

patients with kidney or liver disease, or those with any form of the herpes

virus (including recurrent cold sores).

 

Taurine

 

Your body uses this amino acid to help regulate heart pumping through a

normalization of the electrical activity of the heart. Doses would be 500 mg

three times a day and is best taken as magnesium taurate as the magnesium is

also helpful in CHF.

 

Hawthorne

 

This herb's effectiveness in improving heart function is well-documented in many

double-blind trials and can be taken as a tincture 100 mg one to three times a

day.

 

Related Articles:

 

NSAIDs Up Risk of Second Bout of Hert Failure

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

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