According to French naturalist and author Georges-Louis Leclerc, it was in the 1600s that hawthorn became known as a heart medicine. In fact, a syrup prepared from the fruit was used as a heart medicine in the late 1500s by Josephus Quercetanus, the private physician of King Henry IV of France. Over time, hawthorn's popularity as a heart medicine appears to have caught on, making it one of the most popular of all the botanical cardiovascular medicines from 1894 onward. Even today, hawthorn remains one of the the more popularly used botanical medicines for heart conditions throughout Europe, particularly in Germany and Switzerland where numerous preparations are available.
Injectable preparations are also available in Europe.
In addition, most of these same preparations are available on the American market as dietary supplements. Pharmacodynamics Various hawthorn preparations have been studied for their pharmacological properties, with the research primarily focusing on the herb's cardiovascular activity. The majority of recent clinical studies have been conducted using proprietary preparations prepared from the leaves and flowers. In addition, one study used only dried blossoms. It should be noted that different preparations may be marketed with the same name in different countries, and some preparations may have undergone modification over the time span of the studies cited.