[Ginkgo extract in impaired vision--treatment with special extract EGb 761 of impaired vision due to dry senile macular degeneration]. [Treatment of senile macular degeneration with Ginkgo biloba extract. A preliminary double-blind drug vs. placebo study].
The therapeutic efficacy of Ginkgo special extract Egb 761 was investigated in a controlled, double-blind trial involving 99 patients with impaired vision due to senile, dry macular degeneration. The primary objective target variable was the change in the corrected visual acuity of the more severely impaired eye at baseline, during a six months treatment period with either 240 mg/die (group I = 50 patients) or 60 mg/die (group II = 49 patients) Egb 761. Marked improvement of the study participants' vision was observed in both treatment groups already after four weeks, with more pronounced improvements in group I (acuity increases by 0.13 in group I vs. 0.10 in group II after 24 weeks). The fraction of patients with improvement of visual acuity > or = 0.2 was nearly twice as large in the group treated with 240 mg/die Egb 761 as in patients receiving the lower dosage (p = 0.08). Subjective health impairments, if present, could be improved during treatment as well. The investigator rated a favorable tolerability for both dosages of Egb 761. In conclusion, the results demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of Egb 761 in patients with senile, dry macular degeneration, with obvious benefits in every-day life. Senile macular degeneration is a frequent cause of blindness for which there is no satisfactory medical treatment. A double-blind trial comparing Ginkgo biloba extract with a placebo was conducted in 10 out-patients at the Hôpital Foch. Drug effectiveness was assessed on the results of fundoscopy and of measurements of visual acuity and visual field. In spite of the small population sample, a statistically significant improvement in long distance visual acuity was observed after treatment with Ginkgo biloba extract. The assumed pathogenesis of senile macular degeneration is discussed with emphasis on free oxygenated radicals.
The question as to whether people with AMD should take Ginkgo biloba extract to prevent progression of the disease has not been answered by research to date. Two small trials have suggested possible benefit of Gingko biloba on vision and further trials are warranted. Ginkgo biloba is widely used in China, Germany, and France. Future trials should be larger, and last longer, in order to provide a more robust measure of the effect of Gingko biloba extract on AMD.