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Some herbs reduce
the effectiveness of
heart medicines.
When herbs and
heart medicines
don’t mix
Kadlec cardiac surgery
care team expands
Hannan Chaugle, MD
Juan Cordero Jr., MD
Randall Kelly, PA
Herbal supplements may be
billed as a natural way to help you
improve your health, but natural
doesn’t always mean safe—
especially if you’re taking heart
medications.
A number of herbal health
supplements—such as St. John’s
wort, ginkgo biloba and garlic—can
alter the way heart drugs affect
your body, which can cause your
medicine to not work properly.
Some herbs reduce the
effectiveness of heart medicines or
increase their potency. The mixture
can also lead to a greater risk of
bleeding or irregular heartbeat.
Studies have found that:
■■
St. John’s wort—which is often
taken for depression, anxiety and
sleep disorders—reduces the ef-
fectiveness of medications, contrib-
uting to irregular heartbeat, high
blood pressure and other heart
problems.
■■
Ginkgo biloba, which some
believe improves circulation and
sharpens the mind, can increase the
risk for bleeding if taken with warfa-
rin or aspirin.
■■
Garlic, which some people take
to help improve the immune system
and lower cholesterol and blood
pressure, can also increase the risk
of bleeding if taken with warfarin
.
Mixing herbs with heart
medications is especially dangerous
for older people with heart
problems who take multiple drugs.
If you are taking any type of
heart medication, be sure to talk
with your health care provider
before using any herbal product or
supplement.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology,
Vol. 55, No. 6
www.kadlec.org • 3
T
he cardiothoracic and
vascular surgery team of
Kadlec Clinic Cardiotho-
racic Surgery was recently
expanded with the addition of a
physician assistant.
Randall Kelly, PA, will work
directly with patients both before
and after surgery. He will see
patients while they are hospitalized
at Kadlec as well as in the office.
“Adding a physician assistant
to the team enhances the care of
patients,” said Lisa Mallory, practice
manager of Kadlec Clinic Cardio
thoracic Surgery. “Randall will
interact frequently with the patients
throughout their care. It also allows
the surgeons to spend more time in
surgery.”
Kelly did
both his
undergraduate
and graduate
work at the
University of
Washington.
“He is such
a nice person, and patients really
like him,” said Mallory. “It is a
pleasure to have him as a part of
the team.”
Kelly joins cardiothoracic
surgeons Hannan Chaugle, MD,
and Juan Cordero Jr., MD. Their
office is located at 780 Swift Blvd.,
Suite 140, in Richland.
They can be reached by calling
509-942-DOCS (509-942-3627)
.