The Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared with Other Herbal Products
Authors: Douglas S. Kalman, Jose Antonio, Richard B. Kreider
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters17 June 2003The Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared with Other Herbal ProductsDouglas S. Kalman, MS, RD, Jose Antonio, PhD, and Richard B. Kreider, PhDDouglas S. Kalman, MS, RDMiami Research Associates; Miami, FL 33143 (Kalman)Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 (Antonio)Baylor University; Waco, TX 76798-7313 (Kreider), Jose Antonio, PhDMiami Research Associates; Miami, FL 33143 (Kalman)Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 (Antonio)Baylor University; Waco, TX 76798-7313 (Kreider), and Richard B. Kreider, PhDMiami Research Associates; Miami, FL 33143 (Kalman)Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 (Antonio)Baylor University; Waco, TX 76798-7313 (Kreider)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-138-12-200306170-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Comments and ResponsesTO THE EDITOR:In their Brief Communication concerning the safety of the dietary supplement ephedra (1), Bent and colleagues compared the 2001 Toxic Event Surveillance System (TESS) report with ephedra sales data provided to them by various sources (2). The design and conclusions of their study have several fundamental flaws.Clinical trials of drugs and herbal products provide a basis for understanding the potential for serious adverse events as well as the intended population. The TESS data indicate that 55.5% of all reports related to ma huang (ephedra) alone or in combination with another herb involved people ...References1. Bent S, Tiedt TN, Odden MC, Shlipak MG. The relative safety of ephedra compared with other herbal products. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:468-71. [PMID: 12639079] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Richman A, Witkowski JP. 7th Annual Herb Sales Survey. Whole Foods Magazine. 2001:23-30. Google Scholar3. Litovitz TL, Klein-Schwartz W, Rodgers GC, Cobaugh DJ, Youniss J, Omslaer JC, . 2001 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. Am J Emerg Med. 2002;20:391-452. [PMID: 12216043] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Douglas S. Kalman, MS, RD; Jose Antonio, PhD; Richard B. Kreider, PhDAffiliations: Miami Research Associates; Miami, FL 33143 (Kalman)Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 (Antonio)Baylor University; Waco, TX 76798-7313 (Kreider) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared with Other Herbal Products Stephen Bent , Thomas N. Tiedt , Michelle C. Odden , and Michael G. Shlipak The Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared with Other Herbal Products Stephen Bent , Thomas N. Tiedt , Michelle Odden , and Michael G. Shlipak The Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared with Other Herbal Products Stephen Bent , Thomas N. Tiedt , and Michael G. Shlipak Metrics Cited byAllergies and Natural AlternativesComplementary and Alternative MedicineSafety Assurances for Dietary SupplementsComplementary and alternative interventions in asthma, allergy, and immunology 17 June 2003Volume 138, Issue 12 Page: 1006 Keywords Adverse reactions Age groups Children Clinical trials Death rates Disclosure Information storage and retrieval Safety Serious adverse events ePublished: 17 June 2003 Issue Published: 17 June 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...