Stopping Dementia Symptoms "The Moment You Take It"? The Remarkable Power of Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract [Health Talk]

[Financial News] New research suggests that ginkgo biloba leaf extract may help alleviate symptoms in people who are already showing signs of dementia.
A recent U.S. research team reported in the international journal "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" that ginkgo biloba leaf extract can be effective in easing symptoms in patients with dementia. Cochrane is a global network of independent, nonprofit medical researchers and experts, as well as patients and caregivers.

The study was conducted to determine how substances extracted from ginkgo biloba leaves affect cognitive impairment and dementia.

Cognitive impairment refers to a set of symptoms in which there are problems with thinking, learning, memory, or decision-making abilities. Dementia is one of the more severe forms of cognitive impairment that interferes with daily life and normal activities.

The researchers carried out a combined analysis of data from 82 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) conducted worldwide, covering a total of 10,613 participants. Outcome data suitable for evaluation were extracted from 72 of these trials.
They set overall clinical status, cognitive function, activities of daily living (ADL), Adverse Events (AE), and Serious Adverse Events (SAE) as the main evaluation indicators. Cognitive function was measured using standardized tools such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog).

The team then examined whether ginkgo biloba leaf extract produced better outcomes than a placebo. The placebo effect refers to a phenomenon in which a patient's condition improves because of positive expectations, even though the treatment itself is an inactive dummy drug or sham therapy.

Among patients with cognitive impairment related to multiple sclerosis (MS), there was no statistically significant difference between the ginkgo biloba leaf extract and placebo groups.

In 1,913 people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, taking ginkgo biloba leaf extract for six months was also unlikely to lead to meaningful differences in overall clinical status, cognitive function, or ability to perform activities of daily living, or any such differences were expected to be very small.

The findings were different for people diagnosed with dementia. When they received ginkgo biloba leaf extract instead of a placebo for six months, some improvements were seen in overall clinical status, thinking ability, and performance of daily activities.

However, the researchers cautioned, "Some of the studies had methodological issues, and the results were not consistent across trials, so our confidence in the findings is limited." They added, "There are also very few studies in which ginkgo biloba leaf extract was given for more than six months in dementia, so the potential long-term benefits and side effects of prolonged use remain unknown."



y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter