| Abstract [eng] |
Master‘s Thesis by Laura Kriaučiūnaitė "The use of herbal preparations sold in Lithuanian pharmacies in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases", research supervisor dr. Kostas Ivanauskas. Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmacology Center. Aim: To find out the attitude of the residents of Vilnius towards herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and to review the peculiarities of the use of these preparations. Objectives: 1.To determine the herbal preparations most often used by Vilnius residents to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and to find out the reasons for choosing them and what determines the choice of use. 2.To find out the awareness of Vilnius residents about herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. 3.To determine the consumption characteristics of herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases of Vilnius residents. Methodology: The quantitative research method chosen for the research was a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 17 questions and a table of statements. The participants of the study were residents of Vilnius. Statistical data analysis was performed using the SPSS software package. Results: 89.7% of the respondents knew that herbal preparations can be used to reduce the risk of CVD. The most used herbal preparation to reduce the risk of CVD - Heart drops (59.6%). 52.1% choose herbal preparations to reduce the risk of CVD because they feel a positive effect, 51.7% because they believe that herbal preparations have fewer side effects, 51.2% because they believe in the benefits of medicinal plants. 56.3% were researching the formula before purchasing a herbal preparation to reduce the risk of CVD. 72.5% indicated that the choice to use herbal preparations was determined by a pharmacist, 54.6% that it was determined by other people and 33.4% that it was determined by a doctor. 53.4% felt improvement in health when using herbal preparations alone, and 56.2% felt improvement when using herbal and chemical preparations together. 84.6% were satisfied with the pharmacy assortment of herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of CVD and 33.8% were satisfied with the price of herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of CVD. 4.6% felt side effects when using herbal preparations to reduce the risk of CVD. Conclusions: 1.The herbal preparations most often used by the respondents to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases are Heart drops, Hawthorn extract and Rami širdis. The main reasons why the respondents chose herbal preparations used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases - felt the positive effects of these preparations, as well as the belief that herbal preparations have fewer side effects compared to chemical preparations and belief in the benefits of medicinal plants. Most often, the choice of use was determined by consultation with a pharmacist. 2. Most of the respondents knew that herbal preparations can be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The respondents recognize well enough the medicinal plants included in the formula of herbal preparations for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, although some of them stated that they do not use these preparations. Before purchasing a herbal preparation to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, more than half of the respondents were researching its formula, and a third indicated that only partially. 3.More than half of the respondents used herbal preparations to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Almost half of the respondents indicated that they used both chemical and herbal preparations together to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, usually as needed and daily, systematically, for 3 years or more. Only a very small percentage of those interviewed felt side effects, skin reactions (various rashes) were mentioned most often. |
