Back in the ‘90s there were several reports of serious interactions in people who used Ginkgo biloba with other “blood thinners” to treat peripheral vascular disease (ie, dementia and claudication).

Researchers at Inje University College of Medicine, in Busan, Republic of Korea, evaluated the effects of G. biloba extracts on the pharmacokinetics of the antiplatelet drug cilostazol (Pletal) and its metabolites. (more…)

Researchers in France participating in the GuidAge Study Group assessed the long-term use of standardized ginkgo biloba extract in elderly adults with memory complaints. (more…)

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are frequently given to children and adolescents for reputed benefits for hyperkinetic and concentration disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Researchers in Arizona and Australia assessed the evidence based on the results of studies providing an acceptable standard of evidence. (more…)

Cold temperatures or strong emotions in people with Raynaud’s phenomenon (disease) result in blood vessel spasms (attacks), which block blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and nose.

Researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in the Netherlands explored the possible beneficial effects and tolerability of Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761. (more…)

Dr. Keith Wollen at Washington State University, in Port Angeles, has written a review of treatment options.

Let’s focus on CAM. (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues evaluated the evidence regarding the effects of herbal and dietary supplements on cognition (ability to reason) in menopause. (more…)

Herbals and other CAM are being aggressively marketed for both prophylactic and therapeutic effects in regard to memory disorders.

Researchers at Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Researchers in the US reviewed the incidence and severity of potential interactions between prescription medicine and dietary supplements. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Leeds, in Woodhouse, evaluated written information provided with commonly used herbal products in the UK in advance of a European Union Directive that tightens regulations for some herbal products, including requirements to provide safety information. (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence during menopause (more…)

At the University of Turin, in Italy, researchers reviewed the evidence.

And contributors to the US Headache Consortium tell us why it’s important. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, in China, studied the risk for an herbal:warfarin interaction in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Washington, in Seattle, evaluated whether 13 vitamin and mineral supplements and glucosamine, chondroitin, saw palmetto, Ginkgo biloba, garlic, fish-oil, and fiber supplements were associated with total mortality.

The results with glucosamine and chondroitin are most interesting. (more…)

Some herb remedies seem useful, according to researchers at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in Italy. (more…)

Researchers in Boston and Washington, DC, determined the prevalence of multivitamins, folic acid, and herbal supplement use. (more…)

Tardive dyskinesia is a disorder that involves involuntary movements, especially of the lower face.

Researchers at Peking University, in Beijing, China studied the value of EGb-761, a standardized extract given in capsule form, in patients with schizophrenia. (more…)

Real and hypothetical concerns exist.

Dr. Mark Moyad (photo), who is Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, puts it into perspective. (more…)

Researchers from Rheinischen Friedrich Wilhelms-UniVersitat, in Bonn, Germany think is should.

Here’s a summary of their rationale. (more…)

Intermittent claudication is the classic complaint of people suffering from peripheral arterial disease. It’s associated with muscle pain in the leg, which occurs during walking and exercise.

Here’s a critical review from the Cochrane Library on the value of Ginkgo biloba treatment. (more…)

Researchers from the Netherlands report a patient whose HIV viral load increased with the development of drug resistance because ginkgo biloba interacted with efavirenz (Sustiva). (more…)