Interaction Between Warfarin and Chinese Herbal Medicines

Overview

Journal Singapore Med J

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2015 Feb 3

PMID 25640094

Citations 17

Authors

Yan Ting Chua

Xiang Ling Ang

Xi Ming Zhong

Kei Siong Khoo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the human body is divided into Yin and Yang. Diseases occur when the Yin and Yang balance is disrupted. Different herbs are used to restore this balance, achieving the goal of treatment. However, inherent difficulties in designing experimental trials have left much of TCM yet to be substantiated by science. Despite that, TCM not only remains a popular form of medical treatment among the Chinese, but is also gaining popularity in the West. This phenomenon has brought along with it increasing reports on herb-drug interactions, beckoning the attention of Western physicians, who will find it increasingly difficult to ignore the impact of TCM on Western therapies. This paper aims to facilitate the education of Western physicians on common Chinese herbs and raise awareness about potential interactions between these herbs and warfarin, a drug that is especially susceptible to herb-drug interactions due to its narrow therapeutic range.

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