THURSDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- In a recent randomized controlled trial, ginkgo biloba did not appear to protect against age-related cognitive decline in elderly individuals. However, a secondary analysis that took into account patients' adherence with the medication did suggest a neuroprotective effect, according to an article published online Feb. 27 in Neurology.
Hiroko Dodge, Ph.D., of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., and colleagues randomized 118 patients aged 85 and older with normal cognition to receive either standardized ginkgo biloba extract three times a day or placebo for 42 months. The researchers compared rates of progression in clinical dementia ratings and declines in memory between groups.
In intention-to-treat analysis, ginkgo biloba extract was not associated with a reduced risk of progression of dementia or decline in memory function. In a secondary analysis, which controlled for adherence, researchers found that individuals reliably taking the ginkgo biloba extract had a lower risk of progression of dementia and reduced memory decline. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and ischemic strokes were significantly increased in the ginkgo biloba extract group.
"The suggestive results of a protective effect of ginkgo biloba extract found in our study needs to be confirmed by ongoing larger prevention studies," write the authors. "More stroke and TIA cases were observed among the ginkgo biloba extract group, which requires further study in other ginkgo biloba extract prevention trials."
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