Hematologic complications of alternative remedies.

The use of alternative therapies increased dramatically over the last decade with a wide variety of methods and interventions. Dietary supplements are a very common form of alternative therapy used by healthy people as well as patients with serious health problems. The use of these untested, unregulated therapies may carry inherent risks. Hematologic complications are known side effects of these remedies and may present potentially life-threatening events. This manuscript discusses the clinical manifestations and mechanisms of action of these remedies and provides recommendations for patients' evaluation and counseling.