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Ginkgo Prevented Stroke Damage in Mice
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 "What we have shown here is that by induction of an antioxidant enzyme, ginkgo extract can be effective," Dore said.
The results of the trial were encouraging enough that "we have put a team together to actively continue looking at the efficacy/safety and mechanisms of action of the ginkgo extract in preclinical models of ischemic stroke that could ultimately help in the design an optimal clinical trial," he said.
Goldstein said: "The clinical trials that have been done on ginkgo so far have not been inadequate. In a meta-analysis, the bottom line was that there was no clear benefit, but it's impossible to draw any firm conclusions because the quality of the studies was not optimal."
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Dore and Goldstein agreed on one point -- that the study results should not prompt people to start using the well-advertised ginkgo products that are widely available and touted as memory enhancers.
The Hopkins trial used a standardized extract, while the quality of the extracts sold commercially can be uncertain, Dore said.
"Ginkgo can interact with prescribed drugs and aspirin, and there is the risk of bleeding complications," Goldstein noted. One recent trial of ginkgo as a memory booster in older people even found a slightly increased risk of stroke, he said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes proven ways to reduce the risk of stroke.
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Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 10/10/2008
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SOURCES: Sylvain Dore, Ph.D., associate professor, anesthesiology and critical care medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., director, Duke University Stroke Center, Durham, N.C.; Oct. 10, 2008, Stroke
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