Thursday, December 31, 2009

Ginko biloba, Not as good as once thought!

Ran across a new article in JAMA about "Ginko biloba for the preventing cognitive decline in older adults."
This study is the best kind of study we can perform in medicine. It was randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 3069 patients aged 72-96 years old from 2000-2008.
Patients were either given Ginko 120mg twice daily or identical placebo. Multiple rating scales employed to objectively rate cognitive decline and or improvement.

The authors concluded that Ginko 120mg twice daily did not result in less cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment.

The bottom line is, if you are taking Ginko for memory you are likely wasting your money.

Here's the article:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/302/24/2663?home
Ginkgo biloba for Preventing Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
A Randomized Trial
Beth E. Snitz, PhD; Ellen S. O’Meara, PhD; Michelle C. Carlson, PhD; Alice M. Arnold, PhD; Diane G. Ives, MPH; Stephen R. Rapp, PhD; Judith Saxton, PhD; Oscar L. Lopez, MD; Leslie O. Dunn, MPH; Kaycee M. Sink, MD; Steven T. DeKosky, MD; for the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study Investigators
JAMA. 2009;302(24):2663-2670.

Bryan Glick, DO
http://www.thehealthquest.com/