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at time of writing, Pharmacy Practice Resident, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; now, Critical Care/Nutrition Support Resident, Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
at time of writing, Outcomes Research Specialist, The Cleveland Clinic; now, Clinical Pharmacist, Lincoln Surgical Hospital, Lincoln, NE
Reprints: Dr. Bruno, Division of Pharmacy—Unit 90, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030-4009, fax 713/563-2958, jjbruno{at}mdanderson.org
BACKGROUND: Use of herbal products among the elderly is an important concern for healthcare professionals. The presence of polypharmacy and multiple comorbidities places the elderly at high risk for herb-drug and herb-disease interactions. Limited data exist regarding herbal use among the US elderly population.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of and attitudes toward herbal
use in a nationally representative sample of US elderly patients 
65 years
of age.
METHODS: We performed a descriptive analysis of public domain data collected in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Statistical analyses were conducted through use of SUDAAN software with Taylor series linearization for variance estimation.
RESULTS: Analysis of weighted data revealed that 12.9% ± 0.5% (mean ± SE) of US elderly people had used an herbal supplement within the past 12 months. Use was greatest among individuals 65-69 years of age, females, Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnic minorities, and respondents with a greater income, higher education level, or more positive self-reported health status. Among elderly people purchasing over-the-counter and prescription drugs, herbal use was 13.9% ± 0.6% and 12.8% ± 0.6%, respectively. Glucosamine, echinacea, and garlic supplements represented the most common herbals used. Benefit from combined herbal and conventional therapy was the most common reason cited for use; however, 50.9% ± 2.2% of users did not discuss herbal therapy with a medical professional. Several theoretical herb-disease interactions were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of herbal products among the US elderly has risen over the past 5 years, whereas discussion of such use with medical professionals remains suboptimal.
Key Words: elderly, herbals, incidence, interactions
Published Online, March 1, 2005. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1E460
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