Purpose: Medical therapies for treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) are limited. Ginkgo biloba has been reported to increase maximal and pain-free walking distance among patients with PAD; however, the evidence is inconsistent. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 300 mg/d of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761) versus placebo on treadmill walking time and related cardiovascular measures among patients with PAD.
Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design trial with a 4-month duration was used. Participants were 62 adults, aged 70 +/- 8 years (mean +/- SD), with claudication symptoms of PAD. The primary study outcomes were maximal and pain-free walking time on a treadmill. Secondary outcomes included flow-mediated vasodilation, a measure of antioxidant status as assessed by determining antibody levels to epitopes of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and questionnaires addressing walking impairment and quality of life.
Results: Maximal treadmill walking time increased by 20 +/- 80 and 91 +/- 242 seconds in the placebo and the EGb 761 groups, respectively (P = .12). Pain-free walking time increased by 15 +/- 31 and 21 +/- 43 seconds, respectively (P = .28). No significant differences were detected between groups for any of the secondary outcomes.
Conclusions: In older adults with PAD, Ginkgo biloba produced a modest but insignificant increase in maximal treadmill walking time and flow-mediated vasodilation. These data do not support the use of Ginkgo biloba as an effective therapy for PAD, although a longer duration of use should be considered in any future trials.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00029991.