Northwestern Memorial Hospital Logo
Welcome to Ask A Doctor, your opportunity to learn about health conditions and treatments from Northwestern Memorial affiliated physicians.
Each month, selected questions of general interest will be posed to Northwestern Memorial specialty physicians. Answers will be posted here for the benefit of all our readers.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Q.
“
Are there natural remedies to treat heart failure, instead of all these prescription medicines?
”
Chicago
,
IL
A. There are several medications that have been studied in thousands of patients with heart failure that have been proven to improve symptoms and survival. These medications include beta blockers (carvedilol, metoprolol), ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, captopril, to name a few), ARBs (candesartan, valsartan), and aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone). Diuretics and digoxin are also common medications that help improve symptoms of heart failure. Herbal medications and nutritional supplements have not been rigorously studied in people with heart failure. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association do NOT recommended herbal medications or nutritional supplements for patients with heart failure. Coenzyme Q 10 is one supplement that has been shown in some studies to be effective in reducing shortness of breath, but this was not confirmed in subsequent studies and therefore it is NOT recommended. Concerns about these herbal medications include lack of regulation (you don’t know what you are getting) and drug interactions. You should always tell your doctor about all of the medications or supplements (prescribed and non-prescribed) that you are taking.
Disclaimer: To find a Northwestern Memorial physician and to request an appointment, use our online physician directory, or contact the physician referral department at 1-877-926-4NMH (4664).
"Ask A Doctor" answers are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your personal doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on nmh.org.
Looking for a doctor? Request an appointment online.
View Northwestern Memorial Hospital's classes, programs and support groups.
