Ginkgo biloba for Alzheimer and dementia - DOES IT HELP (AT ALL)?
I came across a recently published clinical paper for this traditional Chinese herb and decided to review the effectiveness of this herb in helping people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Ginkgo biloba is one supplement often taken in hopes of improving memory function. It is currently one of the top selling herbs in the U.S. and the U.K. But can it help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly? The answer came hot from the oven - just yesterday (Tuesday).
EVIDENCE #1
The University of Virginia School of Medicine's Dr. Steven Dekosky, who was at the University of Pittsburgh at the time of the study, led the research team for the study quoted above.
"Because it is the most common kind of dementia in late life, we were especially interested in focusing on Alzheimer's disease, as well as all other causes of dementia that occur in late life," he said.
The study appears in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal. It compared the effect of ginkgo biloba, with placebo, for as long as seven years by more than 3,000 people age 75 and older with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment.
Participants in the study took 240 milligrams of ginkgo biloba - or placebo tablets - daily.
"The test results showed us that under these circumstances, ginkgo doesn't appear to have any effect of slowing down thinking changes in late life," Dr. Dekosky said.
No effect - and so, no breakthrough. But Dr. Dekosky still has a goal: To find a way to delay the onset of dementia in the elderly.
"Delaying the onset of the disease for 10 years would effectively eliminate it from the population," he said.
And so there is hope as the battle against dementia continues.
EVIDENCE #2
In another study earlier this year, similar results were exhibited:
A herbal extract used by an estimated 10% of people with dementia is not an effective treatment for it, an Imperial College London study suggests.
A six-month trial of 176 people with mild to moderate dementia found no difference between those taking ginkgo biloba and those taking a placebo.
The researchers tested 120 mg daily of ginkgo biloba in patients recruited from London general practices. The results are due to be published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry next month (December 2008). If you want to read the full paper (PDF), please let me know, I could forward the document to you, because reading it requires a subscription to the journal.
They measured participants cognitive skills and quality of life at two, four and six months. Tests included exercises such as recalling words from memory or answering questions about time or places.
There was no evidence that the standard dose of the herbal extract had any benefit on memory. And quality of life as reported by the patient or by their carer did not improve over the course of the research.
Study leader, Dr Rob McCarney who carried out the research at Imperial College London, said the lack of drug treatments in early dementia meant patients would try anything to slow down the progression of the disease.
"This isn't a hugely expensive treatment but if you're living on a state pension it can make a considerable dent in your budget. The findings add to the growing evidence that ginkgo provides no benefit."
He added that negative findings, such as these were in general less likely to be published.
"But we think this is equally important because people can clutch at straws when a diagnosis of dementia is made."
Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the finding was very disappointing.
"However, this is an extremely important finding. Thousands of people with dementia, who are already struggling to make ends meet, may buy ginkgo biloba expecting an improvement in their memory."
And... EVIDENCE #3 (three strikes, and you're OUT!)
Back in 2002, a long-anticipated paper appeared in JAMA titled "Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial." This Williams College study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, examined the effects of ginkgo consumption on healthy volunteers older than 60 (n = 230). This is a six-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive placebo or ginkgo, 40 mg 3 times per day. The conclusion, now cited in the National Institutes of Health's ginkgo fact sheet, said: "When taken following the manufacturer's instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function."
Ginkgo biloba is one supplement often taken in hopes of improving memory function. It is currently one of the top selling herbs in the U.S. and the U.K. But can it help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly? The answer came hot from the oven - just yesterday (Tuesday).
EVIDENCE #1
The University of Virginia School of Medicine's Dr. Steven Dekosky, who was at the University of Pittsburgh at the time of the study, led the research team for the study quoted above.
"Because it is the most common kind of dementia in late life, we were especially interested in focusing on Alzheimer's disease, as well as all other causes of dementia that occur in late life," he said.
The study appears in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal. It compared the effect of ginkgo biloba, with placebo, for as long as seven years by more than 3,000 people age 75 and older with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment.
Participants in the study took 240 milligrams of ginkgo biloba - or placebo tablets - daily.
"The test results showed us that under these circumstances, ginkgo doesn't appear to have any effect of slowing down thinking changes in late life," Dr. Dekosky said.
No effect - and so, no breakthrough. But Dr. Dekosky still has a goal: To find a way to delay the onset of dementia in the elderly.
"Delaying the onset of the disease for 10 years would effectively eliminate it from the population," he said.
And so there is hope as the battle against dementia continues.
EVIDENCE #2
In another study earlier this year, similar results were exhibited:
A herbal extract used by an estimated 10% of people with dementia is not an effective treatment for it, an Imperial College London study suggests.
A six-month trial of 176 people with mild to moderate dementia found no difference between those taking ginkgo biloba and those taking a placebo.
The researchers tested 120 mg daily of ginkgo biloba in patients recruited from London general practices. The results are due to be published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry next month (December 2008). If you want to read the full paper (PDF), please let me know, I could forward the document to you, because reading it requires a subscription to the journal.
They measured participants cognitive skills and quality of life at two, four and six months. Tests included exercises such as recalling words from memory or answering questions about time or places.
There was no evidence that the standard dose of the herbal extract had any benefit on memory. And quality of life as reported by the patient or by their carer did not improve over the course of the research.
Study leader, Dr Rob McCarney who carried out the research at Imperial College London, said the lack of drug treatments in early dementia meant patients would try anything to slow down the progression of the disease.
"This isn't a hugely expensive treatment but if you're living on a state pension it can make a considerable dent in your budget. The findings add to the growing evidence that ginkgo provides no benefit."
He added that negative findings, such as these were in general less likely to be published.
"But we think this is equally important because people can clutch at straws when a diagnosis of dementia is made."
Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the finding was very disappointing.
"However, this is an extremely important finding. Thousands of people with dementia, who are already struggling to make ends meet, may buy ginkgo biloba expecting an improvement in their memory."
And... EVIDENCE #3 (three strikes, and you're OUT!)
Back in 2002, a long-anticipated paper appeared in JAMA titled "Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial." This Williams College study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, examined the effects of ginkgo consumption on healthy volunteers older than 60 (n = 230). This is a six-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive placebo or ginkgo, 40 mg 3 times per day. The conclusion, now cited in the National Institutes of Health's ginkgo fact sheet, said: "When taken following the manufacturer's instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function."
So the overall conclusion, or the bottomline, is this:
It's useless. Don't waste your money.
3 Comments:
I read a study about a year ago that stated that people with Alzheimer's lack folic acid and vitamin B. So I take a super B complex and folic acid pills.
Several of my friends who have lost parents/grandparents to Alzheimer's have been told to take these 2 supplements by their Drs.
I suspected this ... thanks for investigating it and providing us with the conclusions.
I, too (like Inge') do the B complex routine. I also think a healthy diet is important.
Good information!
Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
B complex and folic acid? Hmmm... I shall do a meta-analysis on 'em to see how effective or useful are they in preventing AD.
Not in my next post, as I am actually lacking of rest. Probably in the weekend :)
Sometimes, we have to look at the hard evidences, and not rely on a couple of recommendations by people who might not even be aware of the latest supporting evidences. Being in this line for quite some time, it is often hard to verify if the recommendations by doctors are sincere, factual, and up-to-date, or maybe they don't see the full picture, outdated, and maybe, obligated commercially to recommend certain products for their own personal interests.
We shall see :)
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