A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in Phytomedicine (2003; 10(5):363–369) examined the effects of treatment with Crataegus (hawthorn) berry extract in patients with heart failure.
The study included 143 participants with a mean age of 64.8 years. Subjects received either a standardized Crataegus berry extract or a placebo for eight weeks.
Compared with the placebo group, patients receiving the hawthorn extract experienced greater improvements in exercise tolerance, along with reductions in fatigue and shortness of breath.
