Ginkgo biloba and Alzheimer's disease
Ginkgo biloba is an herbal medicine that has been used to treat a variety of health conditions. It has not been approved in the United States for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. But it has been approved in Germany (though with less strict standards than those used to approve regular drugs) and is widely used throughout Europe to treat age-related dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It is available in the U.S.
Most clinical trials of ginkgo in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have found that ginkgo improves mental function and the ability to function on a day-to-day level in small but noticeable ways.
For more general information about ginkgo's uses, safety, and possible side effects, see ginkgo biloba.
| Author | Sabra L. Katz-Wise |
| Author | Ralph Poore |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology |
| Last Updated | November 15, 2006 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise