Natural not necessarily best

WASHINGTON: Taking Ginkgo biloba, St John's wort and other widely used herbal supplements may be risky for people on heart disease medication, especially the elderly, according to a medical review released on Monday.

Some herbal remedies may increase the potency of prescription drugs for heart disease or make them less effective, a team of experts concluded.

Mixing herbs and drugs also could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding, according to the review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.