Review Article
AN UPDATE ON HERB INDUCED CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASES
Abstract
The use of herbs as medicine has grown in popularity in this country over the past decade, contributing to a $4.1 billion supplement industry. The popularity of herbs is due to several factors: they can be purchased without a prescription, a belief that "natural" products are safer and the knowledge that many of our modern drugs are derived from herbs. Toxicity can occur when a herb with unknown toxicity is consumed, incorrect identification leads to substitution of an innocuous herb with a toxic one, preparations are contaminated with toxic non-herbal compounds or when a herb potentiates the nephrotoxic effect of a conventional therapy. Renal injury has been reported in association with several herbs. The best known herb induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is aristolochic acid nephropathy.
