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New Research Developments in the News
London Researchers explore gingko
as a treatment for early dementia
This story has
been adapted from a news release issued by Imperial College London
Press Office
and may be viewed
at
The study of 250
patients aged over 55 will seek to find out whether General
Practitioners (“GPs”) can help patients by prescribing the supplement
to those with memory loss, one of the early symptoms of dementia.
It will be the
first to test gingko as a treatment for those who are still living in
the community and are being treated by their GP. Previous trials have
concentrated on patients receiving hospital care, where the condition
is often more advanced.
"We believe
gingko may prove more effective if prescribed in a community setting,
where patients symptoms are usually less severe," says Dr James
Warner, a psychiatrist from Imperial College London and St Marys
Hospital, who is leading the study. "This trial will help us to find
out whether with gingko its a case of 'the sooner the better', for
patients who may benefit from taking it."
Gingko is
believed to cause blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow to the
brain, and to thin the blood, making it less likely to clot. Gingko
may also have antioxidant effects, protecting nerve cells against
biological rusting.
"All of these
effects would suggest that gingko might slow down a degenerative
process such as dementia," says Dr Warner.
It is estimated
that 700,000 people in the United Kingdom are affected by the
condition, 60 per cent of whom are diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.
Patients might occasionally misunderstand who or where they are,
forget peoples names or how to get home.
Gingko could
provide a cheaper alternative to conventional medicines, with fewer of
the potential side effects such as nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness
and diarrhoea. A quality gingko extract taken from the Gingko biloba
tree costs around £200 for a years supply. It is currently available
over the counter in the UK, most European countries and the United
States.
Conventional
medicines for memory loss are based upon a class of drugs known as
cholinesterase inhibitors, which cost around £1,000 a year, and
prescription of these drugs is restricted. Some patients also benefit
from therapies such as music therapy, aromatherapy and reminiscence
therapy, which keep the environment stimulating and encourage the use
of the brain.
Participants on
the double-blind trial will continue to take their conventional
medicines for age-associated memory loss. For six months they will be
given 60mg of gingko extract or a placebo twice daily. Participants
will also receive up to three visits of one and a half hours where
researchers will examine each individuals cognitive functioning, their
memory, quality of life and behaviour.
Robert McCarney,
research associate on the study adds: "We are now recruiting
individuals living in or around London and the home counties, aged
over 55 and whom their GP suspects may have dementia. Anyone
interested in finding out more about the study should telephone 020
7886 7697."
The study is
being carried out by Imperial College London in collaboration with the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Royal London
Homeopathic Hospital and University College London. The Alzheimers
Society is funding the research.
Gingko facts
·
Fossilized remains of the ancient tree have been found dating back 200
million years.
·
It
has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for at least 5,000
years.
·
In
Germany, gingko is of the top 10 prescription medicines for the
treatment of circulatory problems. Germans spent 280 million dollars
on gingko in 1993.
·
Four
gingko trees survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in August 1945,
leading local people to name the tree the bearer of hope.
·
The
tree inspired Goethe’s poem Gingko Biloba.
·
The
gingko tree can grow up to forty metres tall and can achieve a spread
of nine metres.
Citrus Aurantium, Herbal Weight
Loss Ingredient Used As A Substitute For Ephedra, May Have Risks
This story adapted from an August 27, 2004 press release issued by
Georgetown University. The original release may be found at:
http://gumc.georgetown.edu/communications/releases/release.cfm?ObjectID=3341
People taking
“ephedra-free” weight loss products that contain the herb Citrus
aurantium, or Seville orange, may be doing more harm to their body
than good, according to a new review published by Georgetown
University Medical Center researchers.
The review,
published in the September issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine,
found that no reliable scientific evidence supports the use of C.
aurantium for losing weight. More importantly, high doses of the
herb, which contains synephrine, may not be safe. Synephrine can
cause hypertension, and C. aurantium also interacts with drugs
in a manner similar to grapefruit juice.
“C. aurantium has
many of the same potential deleterious cardiovascular effects as
ephedra, and it also potentially affects the metabolism of other
drugs,” said Adam Myers, PhD, professor of physiology and co-author of
the review. “The public and the medical community should be concerned
about the growing use of C. aurantium without
adequate data on safety and efficacy.”
Since the banning of ephedra-containing products by the Food and Drug
Administration, a new wave of “ephedra-free” herbal weight loss
preparations has surfaced. Many of these products contain C.
aurantium, a small, sour citrus used to flavor Curacao, Cointreau,
and Triple Sec. CA has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine
to treat digestive problems.
Among the points
highlighted in their review, Myers and co-author Adriane Fugh-Berman,
MD, associate professor of Physiology, discuss that C. aurantium,
like grapefruit, contain flavonoids that affect drug metabolism and
can increase blood levels of drugs, thus increasing side effects.
"The effects on
drug-metabolizing systems are not identical. C. aurantium
juice, but not grapefruit, increased levels of indinavir, a drug used
to treat AIDS. Grapefruit juice, but not C. aurantium juice,
increased cyclosporine levels. Both citruses increased levels of
felodipine, a calcium channel drug used to treat high blood pressure,”
said Myers who directs the first Master's degree-granting graduate
level program in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United
States.
"Potential drug interactions could be serious," states Fugh-Berman,
author of the 5-Minute Herbs and Dietary Supplement Consult (Lippincott
Williams and Wilkins 2002). "Anyone who is taking daily medication
should consult a physician before combining it with the use of C.
aurantium. This and other herbal weight loss products should not
be considered safe simply because they are available over-the-counter.
The best way to lose weight is through exercise and diet."
Myers and Fugh-Berman
encourage much more research on the effects of C. aurantium.
As part of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Master’s
Program they help guide at Georgetown, Myers, Fugh-Berman, and their
colleagues are focused on training scientists to address the research
gaps in CAM, educating health care practitioners on the benefits and
risks of CAM, and promoting critical, interdisciplinary thinking. The
second year of this pioneering graduate biomedical program has
enrolled double the students as the first year of the program,
demonstrating a sincere and growing interest in exploring the
science behind CAM and helping to fill in missing data to determine
the safest recommendations
To learn more
about Georgetown’s CAM Graduate Program, please visit
http://camprogram.georgetown.edu
EDITOR’S NOTE:
The IMA encourages anyone
using herbal therapies or supplements to share the information with
their health caregivers since many interactions are possible with
standard medications. There are now, progressively available databases
which list such interactions. Notifying your caregiver might prevent a
possibly serious interaction. Encourage your caregivers to learn about
such interactions.
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