Ginkgo Has No Effect on Age-Related Cognitive Decline, Cardiovascular Events
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Data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) trial—a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 3,069 community-dwelling participants 72 to 96 years of age—show no effect of Ginkgo biloba supplements on either (1) the rate of cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment or (2) the incidence of cardiovascular events. The findings, which represent preplanned secondary outcomes of the GEM trial, were published in separate articles in the December 23, 2009 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association and the January 2010 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Participants in the GEM trial received G biloba extract 120 mg or an identical-appearing placebo twice daily. Changes in participants’ long-term cognitive functioning were determined from scores on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale, and a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery that assessed specific cognitive domains of memory, attention and psychomotor speed, visual-spatial construction, language, and executive functions. Cardiovascular end points included angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke/cerebrovascular accident , transient ischemic attack , peripheral vascular disease, and death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Participants were followed for a median of 6.1 years (maximum 7.3 years).
The G biloba and placebo groups did not differ in rates of cognitive change for the global cognition score or any of the specific cognitive domains. There also was no evidence that G biloba reduced total or CVD mortality or CVD events, although there were fewer peripheral vascular disease events among participants taking G biloba (n = 12, 8%) than placebo (n = 23, 1.5%).
The researchers concluded that G biloba cannot be recommended for slowing the rate of cognitive decline or preventing cardiovascular disease.
JAMA. 2009;302(24):2663-70.
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2010;3:41-7. Epub 2009 Nov 24.