Modern research shows that hawthorn is a high-potassium food. The edible part of hawthorn contains 299 mg of potassium and 5.4 mg of sodium per 100 g, and its K factor is 55.37. It is a high-k food and has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on hypertension. Clinical observation also shows that hawthorn decoction has a good antihypertensive effect when used to treat hypertension. Hawthorn contains a lot of carotene, vitamin C and E. Because of the active ingredients such as maslinic acid, citric acid and malic acid, it can not only protect vitamin C from destruction, but also promote it to play a more significant role in protecting vascular cells. The researchers also found that the calcium content of hawthorn is also high, and the calcium index (that is, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus) is more than 2, which is not only beneficial to the positive metabolic balance of calcium, but also helps to lower blood pressure.

The hypotensive effect of hawthorn is obvious, stable and lasting. Intravenous injection of ethanol extract of hawthorn tablets can slow and persistently reduce blood pressure in anesthetized rabbits, especially when it is combined with mistletoe, garlic and sycamore. Intravenous injection of hawthorn total flavonoids10mg/kg can reduce the blood pressure of cats by 40% for 5 ~10min, and its total extract also has obvious central hypotensive effect on mice, rabbits and cats. Intravenous injection, intraperitoneal injection and duodenal administration of flavonoids, triterpenoid acids and hydrolysates of Crataegus pinnatifida showed different degrees of antihypertensive effects on blood pressure in anesthetized cats.

Hawthorn has a medical and health care effect on cardiovascular diseases; Moreover, various preparations made of hawthorn at home and abroad have achieved remarkable results in treating hypertension, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people with cardiovascular diseases can often take hawthorn and its products to enhance the body's defense function.