JAMA ginkgo debate
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
"Outcome trials should use cognitive tests that are sensitive to ginkgo's pharmacologic mode of action in the brain," say Pradeep Nathan, PhD, et al., Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, in Feb. 5 JAMA. Letter addresses recent study by Solomon et al. which found ginkgo caused no cognitive function improvement in healthy adults (1"The Tan Sheet" Aug. 26, 2002, p. 14). Nathan et al. suggest the selection of tests by Solomon et al. "may not be suitable to outcome studies of complementary therapies such as ginkgo, which generally produce only a mild to moderate benefit with continued use." Five letters appearing in JAMA challenge the study's blinding, focus on healthy individuals. Solomon et al. maintain their trial addressed manufacturer's claims, did not intend to take on herb's effects on impaired population...