Ginkgo extracts in dementia

Ginkgo extract continues to be the focus of dementia research

28/09/2012

Ginkgo biloba is one of the best studied medicinal plants. The benefits of this therapy for dementia patients have been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. „There is no doubt about the efficacy of standardized medicinal-book-compatible extracts of Ginkgo biloba“, Prof. Dr. Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz, University of Frankfurt, opposite the press. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) also considers ginkgo therapy to be effective at a dose of 240 mg per day.

The data published in 2010 a randomized double-blind „GuidAge®“-The study, conducted by French researchers with 2,854 people who complained of memory problems but were mentally healthy, found that taking Ginkgo extract EGb 761® for four years reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. almost halved. These data repeatedly confirmed the importance of early initiation of therapy.

However, a final assessment of the protective effect of ginkgo therapy does not allow the GuidAge® study, as shown in the recent publication (Lancet Neurol 2012, DOI: 10.1016 / S1474-4422 (12) 70206-5) evident.

The reason lies in methodical problems:
Almost every third of the 2,820 registered study participants (30 percent) retired prematurely for a variety of reasons. The actual rate of Alzheimer's disease, which occurred during long-term therapy in both groups, was almost two-thirds lower at 4.8 percent overall than expected in the study design. Based on experience, they expected 13.8 percent. As a result, the number of actual cases of dementia was not sufficient for a statistically significant statistical significance.

However, experts emphasize that the efficacy and tolerability of the Ginkgo extract EGb 761® is therefore not called into question in the treatment of already existing cognitive impairments due to cerebral organ-cell disorders, in particular in Alzheimer's disease. It will also continue to be rewarding to further explore the benefits of therapy for the prevention of serious memory disorders. (KFN)

Picture: Sabine Geißler