Ginkgo biloba may benefit stroke victims
The fifth leading cause of death in the United States, preceeded by heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease and accidents, is stroke.
140,323 people died from stroke in 2015. Even with these heightened and unnerving numbers, the treatment remains limited to two interventions; thrombolysis and intra-artery therapy. Of these two treatments, not many are candidates due to a strict window of opportunity from onset to treatment.
A complication of stroke, treated or untreated, is cognitive decline. Specifically, vascular cognitive decline (VCI) is associated with patients who have suffered a stroke.
A recent study from the Journal of Neurology, Neuroscience and Psychiatry explains that throughout 10 different countries, the risk of post-stroke dementia was around 30%. A number that some researchers found needed urgent attention.
Ginkgo biloba has been used for cognitive purposes throughout China for centuries. A formulated extract, EGb76, was produced in the early 1990’s and is now the most commonly studied and recognized form of supplementation.
Researchers created a new form of ginkgo biloba extract, the Ginkgo ketone ester dispersable tablets. They created a clinical study that theorized this extract would have fewer potentially harmful components and improved clinical effects on VCI.
They found that daily supplementation of this extract plus aspirin over a 6 month period showed better memory functions, executive functions, neurological functions and daily life in patients who suffered a stroke, compared to aspirin monotherapy.
There was no increased risk of adverse events found throughout the study, which is similar to other studies that have looked at Ginkgo biloba. Certain risk factors, such as hypertension, liver cirrhosis and preexisting bleeding risks could cause a potentially harmful interaction with Ginkgo biloba so clinicians should be cautious when approaching these patients.
For more information regarding this research visit The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
Questions: Have any of your patients complained of cognitive difficulties after a stroke? What are your thoughts on the clinical use of Ginkgo biloba?
