Phytotherapy for cardiovascular diseases

Herbal preparations and “natural” dietary supplements are frequently used by patients with cardiovascular disease – often in the hope of “gently” influencing blood pressure, lipids or symptoms. However, guidelines from European and American professional societies unanimously emphasize that phytotherapeutics and dietary supplements should not replace established lifestyle and pharmacotherapy. In particular, the 2025 focused ESC/EAS update on dyslipidemia therapy concludes, after reviewing the available evidence, that there is insufficient evidence for any supplement that lowers LDL cholesterol while improving cardiovascular risk with reasonable safety.