Ginkgo biloba and Alzheimer's disease


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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.

Credits


Author Monica Rhodes
Editor Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology
Last Updated November 10, 2008

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Last updated: November 10, 2008
Author: Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology
Editors: Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC

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