Title:Overview of Green Tea Interaction with Cardiovascular Drugs
Volume: 21
Issue: 9
Author(s): Jose P. Werba, Shingen Misaka, Monica G. Giroli, Shizuo Yamada, Viviana Cavalca, Keisuke Kawabe, Isabella Squellerio, Federica Laguzzi, Satomi Onoue, Fabrizio Veglia, Veronika Myasoedova, Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Eisuke Adachi, Naoki Inui, Elena Tremoli and Hiroshi Watanabe
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Green tea, herb-drug interaction, dietary-drug interaction, catechins, simvastatin, warfarin, nadolol, cardiovascular drugs.
Abstract: Sensitive to the massive diffusion of purported metabolic and cardiovascular positive effects of green tea and catechincontaining
extracts, many consumers of cardiovascular drugs assume these products as a “natural” and presumably innocuous adjunctive
way to increase their overall health. However, green tea may interfere with the oral bioavailability or activity of cardiovascular drugs by
various mechanisms, potentially leading to reduced drug efficacy or increased drug toxicity. Available data about interactions between
green tea and cardiovascular drugs in humans, updated in this review, are limited so far to warfarin, simvastatin and nadolol, and suggest
that the average effects are mild to modest. Nevertheless, in cases of unexpected drug response or intolerance, it is warranted to consider
a possible green tea-drug interaction, especially in people who assume large volumes of green tea and/or catechin-enriched products with
the conviction that “more-is-better”.
