In a warning that is bound to cause a fresh row over the quality of Asian herbal medicines, British scientists were due to announce on Tuesday that millions of people in Asia — specially in India and China — might be exposed to the risk of kidney failure and bladder cancer from taking herbal medicines widely available in the continent.
Scientists from King’s College London have found that many herbal medicines used for a wide range of conditions — including slimming, asthma and arthritis — are derived from a botanical compound containing aristolochic acids. These products are now banned in the US and many European countries, but herbs containing these toxic acids can still be bought in China and other countries in Asia, and are also available worldwide over the internet.
The scientists reviewed worldwide cases of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), a type of kidney failure caused by the intake of these acids. They suggest there may be many thousands of cases across Asia that are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. With the outcome of their study, the researchers hope to raise awareness of the risks of aristolochic acids and reduce the global disease burden from this severe condition.
“We do know that preparations containing aristolochic acid (AA) are widely used in India and that this is associated with chronic kidney disease and kidney cancer if a sufficient dose is taken,” lead author Professor Graham Lord said. “Ethnopharmacological analyses suggest that aristolochia is widely used in India. India must monitor its use in herbal medicines and carry out assessment of patients with kidney diseases for the presence of AA.”
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