Abstract:
Despite the fact that a variety of consistent guidelines are available for the treatment of hypertension, the problem of insufficient management of this condition still persists. The rate of its prevalence is increasing so rapidly that in 2025 one out of every three adults will be a victim of hypertension. In developing countries, adopting the preventive measures for this disease remains the only possible option for its management in the majority of the cases, because drug therapy is highly expensive. Moreover these drugs increase the risk of developing new diseases, making the situation more complicated. Keeping in mind the South Asian poverty condition, economic constraints and harmful effects of drugs, this review aims to investigate the commonly used herbs in South Asian countries for the treatment of hypertension. Different search engines were explored including Pubmed, Google and Asci database (up 10 August 2012) by using various keywords. Priority was given to research article and information presented by authentic organizations and federations. Ten herbal plants that are effectively used in South Asian countries were analyzed for their anti-hypertensive potential on the basis of previously published literature. Among studied herbs Ginkgo biloba, Passiflora nepalensis and Zingiber officinalis showed considerable results and in most of the cases their antioxidant capacity was found to be responsible for their anti-hypertensive properties. The only need is to discover the unexplored herbs so that they can be used as an alternate of synthetic expensive drugs.
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