Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in the technologically advanced countries. Tremendous work has been done in promoting the different medical approaches and drugs available in providing proper treatment to cardiovascular patients. Nevertheless, in most cases it is well understood that allopathic medicine are not free from side effects caused due to chemical entities. Keeping in view these and more problems associated with monotherapy using chemical agents, complementary and alternative medicine was developed. The history of herbology is inextricably intertwined with that of modern medicine. Many drugs listed as conventional medications were originally derived from plants. The plant derivatives remain the basis for a major proportion of the commercial medications used today for the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, asthma, and other diseases. In recent years, use of complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise for both prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Herbal medicine is oldest form of health care known to mankind. Herbs have been used by all cultures throughout history. The knowledge of herbal medicine dates back from prehistoric times and has been transferred from generation to generation. Primitive man appreciated the great diversity of plants available to him. They methodically collected information on herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Several clinical studies are being conducted on herbal plants to prove their therapeutic value. We present here a critical review to highlight the use of herbal drugs in cardiovascular diseases, history of herbal medicine and issues concerning use of herbal products.
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