TUESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with Ginkgo biloba is not effective in decreasing dementia among elderly patients with normal cognition or those with mild cognitive impairment, according to research published in the Nov. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Steven T. DeKosky, M.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, and colleagues performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of G. biloba in preventing all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease among elderly individuals (aged 75 and older) with normal cognition (2,587 patients) and mild cognitive impairment (482 patients).
In total, 523 patients (246 in the placebo group and 277 in the G. biloba group) were diagnosed with dementia during a median follow-up of 6.1 years. The rate of dementia in the G. biloba group was 3.3 per 100 person-years compared to 2.9 per 100 person-years in the placebo group, the investigators found. A non-significant increased risk for all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease, respectively, was seen in the supplemented group compared to the placebo group (HR, 1.12 and 1.16, respectively). Similarly, G. biloba had no effect on progression to dementia in patients with mild cognitive impairment at baseline, the report indicates.
"In summary, in this randomized clinical trial in 3,069 older adults with normal cognitive function or mild deficits, G. biloba showed no benefit for reducing all-cause dementia or dementia of the Alzheimer type," the authors conclude.
The study received funding from Schwabe Pharmaceuticals. Authors of the study and editorial have received grants or serve as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies.
Abstract
Full Text
Editorial
