Ginkgo Biloba-one of dietary supplements that believed effective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people. But according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ginkgo Biloba fails to show its benefit.

The study was conducted primarily to determine if ginkgo biloba would decrease the incidence of all types of dementia and, more specifically, reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Secondarily, the study evaluated ginkgo biloba for its effects on overall cognitive decline, functional disability, incidence of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and total mortality. The primary endpoint was the diagnosis of dementia as determined by an expert panel of clinicians using standard criteria for diagnosis. The patients with a diagnosis of dementia underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans to determine their dementia type.

The principal investigator on the study said that the results of this study confirm the importance of randomized trials in the development of new therapies for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and in determining therapeutic benefit not only for conventional therapies but also complementary therapies like ginkgo biloba.

If older patients are considering using ginkgo biloba for preventing dementia, better they speak with their health care providers about the results of this study and work together to create the best treatment plan.

Tags: dietary
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