Muhammad Zubair Khan,
Minahil Javaid,
- Faculty of Sciences Department of Biochemistry Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi. Pakistan.
- Faculty of Agriculture Department of Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, University of Poonch Rawalakot, AJK Pakistan
Abstract
Safety and efficacy of herbal medicines have not yet been established in treating hypertension. The
current study examined the prevalence of herbal medicine use among hypertensive patients in
Rawalakot, Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The study included 100 hypertensive patients using
systemic random sampling. The independent variables were herbal medicine and conventional
medicine, while the dependent variable was hypertension. The most commonly known and used herbal
medicine was garlic followed by ginger and onion. Among the female respondents, garlic was the most
frequently cited herbal remedy for high blood pressure, with 44 mentions. This was followed by ginger
(16 mentions), onion (15), watercress (14), and coriander (11). 61 of the patients showed strong believe
in herbal medicine efficacy against hypertension while 39 disagreed. The younger respondents were
found less in their belief and use of herbal remedies. Unemployed, and government employed
respondents were found more frequent cases of hypertension followed by people doing own business.
Similarly, less educated were the higher cases of hypertension. The majority of respondents not
engaging in daily exercise were found among both male and female participants, with 46 out of 100 not
adhering to a daily exercise routine. In contrast, only 16 respondents reported following a regular
exercise pattern. Higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were reported by respondents with
greater body weight. Herbal medicines were perceived to have varying degrees of effectiveness in
controlling blood pressure among hypertensive patients who solely relied on herbal remedies and those
who combined them with conventional treatments.
Keywords: Hypertension, herbal medicine, garlic, ginger, onion, blood pressure, rawalakot
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Volume | |
Received | April 15, 2024 |
Accepted | May 20, 2024 |
Published | August 23, 2024 |