Hawthorn may be helpful for maintaining heart health
Q: Could you comment on the value of taking hawthorn berry tincture for heart health? Are there any studies on this? A: Hawthorn herbal products have been used to treat cardiovascular problems in China since 659 A.D. (Frontiers in Pharmacology, Feb. 21, 2020). Researchers have found that hawthorn can relax blood vessels, lower blood fats, reduce inflammation and fight oxidation. These all suggest that hawthorn could be helpful for heart health.
A review of the evidence of a specific hawthorn extract, WS 1442, considered clinical trials as well as nonclinical research and post-marketing reports (American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, February 2018). It is used to help moderate blood pressure and normalize heart rhythm. The authors concluded that the scientific evidence supports the use of this extract for people with mild to moderate heart failure. One reader was taking prescription pills for high blood pressure. The doctor reluctantly agreed to let the patient try hawthorn tincture. To her surprise, the blood pressure was under good control after six weeks. Anyone who considers using hawthorn extract or tincture should work with a physician to make sure the desired results are achieved.
Q: When I was a kid, the dermatologist burned warts off my fingers with some sort of electric needle device. Later, as an adult, a different dermatologist used liquid nitrogen
to freeze off a wart. Now my grandson has a wart. I have seen over-thecounter products that use some sort of gas to create cold temperatures on an applicator. How well do they work to eliminate warts? A:
There are at least two different options that use cold for home treatment of warts. One type of device uses dimethylether and propane, as for example, in the Compound W Freeze Off device. In the other type, cold is generated from nitrous oxide in the device. Compound W NitroFreeze utilizes this approach.
European dermatologists investigated how well these ingredients work on common and plantar warts in a small study (Dermatology and Therapy, June 2018). After three applications, 70% of the warts treated with nitrous oxide had disappeared compared to 46% of those treated with dimethylether/ propane. That difference is significant, and the investigators concluded that the nitrous oxide device is a safe and effective wart treatment for home use.
Q: Should women take metformin to prevent breast cancer even if they
are not diabetic? I have read that this diabetes drug might have anti-cancer benefits. A:
A review of metformin to prevent breast cancer reveals a range of results (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, March 2022). In some studies, metformin appeared to help, especially against estrogen receptor-positive tumors. In other studies, however, this insulin-sensitizing drug had no preventive impact.
For treating breast cancer, women with diabetes who take metformin seem to do better. A new randomized controlled trial recruited 3,649 women with breast cancer but no diabetes (JAMA, May 24, 2022). The eightyear follow-up results were disappointing. Women who were randomized to take metformin were no more likely to avoid cancer complications than those on placebo. Unless research uncovers more positive results, there is no compelling reason for a woman without diabetes to take metformin.