Abstract
Background: Hawthorn special extract WS® 1442 has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Experimental studies showed an antiarrhythmic effect of the substance. We therefore investigated antiarrhythmic effects of WS® 1442 compared with magnesium/potassium in a large collective of outpatients.
Methods: Using the IQVIA® Disease Analyzer (DA) database, we included 4,550 patients with a prescription of WS® 1442 and 4,550 matched patients with Tromcardin® prescriptions (all registered products under the trademark Tromcardin® that are magnesium and potassium supplementing foods for special medical purposes) who were followed for 5 years after the index date. The incidence of various cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation and flutter (AFF), tachycardia, and other cardiac arrhythmias) was recorded. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the potential association between both drugs and arrhythmias.
Results: The cumulative incidence of AFF was significantly lower among patients with WS® 1442 prescription compared to patients with magnesium/potassium prescriptions (10.8% vs. 16.4%, p<0.001). WS® 1442 prescription was significantly associated with a lower incidence of AFF compared to magnesium/potassium (HR: 0.71; 95%CI: 0.64-0.80; p<0.001). The cumulative incidence of tachycardia was significantly lower with WS® 1442 compared to magnesium/potassium (8.3% vs. 9.4%, p<0.001). Similarly, the cumulative incidence of other cardiac arrhythmias was significantly lower among WS® 1442 patients compared to patients with magnesium/potassium (10.2% vs. 14.8%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: In a large collective of outpatients, intake of WS® 1442 was associated with a significantly lower incidence of atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, and other cardiac arrhythmias compared to magnesium/potassium, indicating its potential in treating and preventing such conditions.