Herbal product use by older adults

In the past two decades, there has been an exponential increase in the use of medicinal herbal products around the world. In various countries, these products are classified and promoted as foods, not pharmaceuticals, which facilitate their availability on the international market without requiring a medical prescription. Since older adults (OAs) are an important and growing sector of the population in many countries, it is important to know the prevalence of their herbal product use, since many OA take herbs along with diverse quantities of prescription and over the counter medications. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the possibilities of health complications due to the concomitant use of diverse medications and herbs. OA are an especially vulnerable population, since many of the human body's physiological activities, such as renal and hepatic detoxification and clearance usually decrease with age. Additionally, information on certain herbal products is either misleading, or simply unavailable. These products may indeed be a therapeutic option, but some can be used properly only under the guidance of a health professional. Those OA taking combinations of various medications and herbal supplements are also more at risk to experience some sort of herb-drug interactions. This publication reviews selected articles related to the use of herbal products by OAs and mentions the various patterns of use and health implications of the concomitant use of herbal products and prescription medications. This topic is currently not fully understood and further research is warranted.