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Does Gingko Biloba
affect memory?
Newswise — Taking the supplement ginkgo biloba had no
clear-cut benefit on the risk of developing
memory problems, according to a study
published in the February 27, 2008, online
issue of Neurology®, the medical
journal of the American Academy of
Neurology.
The three-year study involved 118 people age 85 and older
with no memory problems.
Half of the participants took ginkgo biloba extract three
times a day and half took a placebo.
During the study, 21 people developed mild memory problems,
or questionable dementia: 14 of those took
the placebo and seven took the ginkgo
extract.
Although there was a trend favoring ginkgo, the difference
between those who took gingko versus the
placebo was not statistically significant.
The researchers made an interesting observation when they
examined the data at the end of the trial.
Taking into account whether people followed directions in
taking the study pills, they found that
people who reliably took the supplement had
a 68 percent lower risk of developing mild
memory problems than those who took the
placebo.
Without further study, it is unclear if this difference is
real or just a chance occurrence.
On a cautionary note, the study also found that people taking
ginkgo biloba were more likely to have a
stroke or transient ischemic attack, or mini
stroke. Seven people taking ginkgo had
strokes, while none of those taking placebo
did.
“Ginkgo has been reported to cause bleeding-related
complications, but the strokes in this case
were due to blood clots, not excessive
bleeding, and were generally not severe,”
said study author Hiroko Dodge, PhD, of the
Department of Public Health and Center for
Healthy Aging Research at Oregon State
University in Corvallis.
“These results need to be clarified with
larger studies, but the findings are
interesting because ginkgo biloba is already
widely used, readily available, and
relatively inexpensive,” said Dodge.
“One of the most pressing public health problems facing our
society is the rapidly growing number of
people who, due to their age alone, are at
high risk of developing dementia.
"The potential to delay or prevent this is of great
importance. Further studies are needed to
determine whether gingko biloba has any
benefits in preventing cognitive decline and
whether it is safe.”
Dodge noted that this is the first randomized, controlled
trial of prevention of dementia in people
age 85 and older.
The research was conducted at Oregon Health & Science
University’s NIA-Layton Aging & Alzheimer’s
Disease Center and the Oregon Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in
Neurological Disorders.
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute
on Aging and the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
The ginkgo biloba extract was provided by
Thorne Research, Inc.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more
than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience
professionals, is dedicated to improving
patient care through education and research.
A neurologist is a doctor with specialized
training in diagnosing, treating and
managing disorders of the brain and nervous
system such as epilepsy, dystonia, migraine,
Huntington’s disease, and dementia.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology,
visit
http://www.aan.com.
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