Ginkgo for Alzheimer's? 'Not Yet' says Association

Alzheimer's Association
Tuesday, 21 October 1997

New research shows the herb ginkgo biloba may have positive effects for people with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

"The research is encouraging, but it is premature to recommend ginkgo as a specific treatment for Alzheimer's disease without more rigorous research, " said Zaven Khachaturian, Ph.D., director of the Association's Ronald & Nancy Reagan Research Institute.

According to Khachaturian, methodological issues with the study, including the large drop-out rate of participants, may have affected the outcome, and make the results difficult to interpret. "We need more meticulous studies before we can begin to draw any conclusions, " Khachaturian said. "However, the study shows something is working a little bit for some people. Further research is warranted to help us determine what the mechanism is, and whether the potential benefits are simply on symptoms or on the underlying disease. "

"A Placebo-Controlled, Double-blind, Randomized Trial of an Extract of Ginkgo Biloba for Dementia, " by Pierre L. LeBars, M.D., Ph.D., of the New York Institute for Medical Research, appears in the October 22/29, 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The Alzheimer's Association strongly recommends that people consult their doctors before taking any drug, especially for people with Alzheimer's disease. If you or a loved one is taking this or any other drug, be sure to alert your physician because of potential side effects when drugs are combined, the Association says.

"Though ginkgo is available on the market, there are a number of good reasons for caution regarding its use, " Khachaturian said. "First, earlier studies have shown that ginkgo may reduce the ability of blood to clot. This could cause a big problem, especially when used simultaneously with anti-coagulants, such as aspirin. "In addition, commercially available ginkgo products may not contain the same preparation of the herb as was used in this study, so there is no way to predict the effects, positive or negative. "

Ginkgo biloba extract has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, and is widely used in Europe. It contains a number of compounds with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The goal of the Alzheimer's Association is to accelerate efforts to delay the onset of, and eventually prevent, Alzheimer's disease. "It is very significant that readily available substances may turn out to be effective treatments for Alzheimer's, " Khachaturian said. "This may speed the development of treatments, plus reduce the cost, compared with developing a new drug from scratch. "

Recent reports have suggested that estrogen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and anti-oxidants, such as vitamin E, may have beneficial effects against Alzheimer's disease.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org