Ginkgo biloba Extract Prescriptions Are Associated with Slower Progression of Dementia Severity—Analysis of Longitudinal Real-World Data
Jens Bohlken, André Hajek, Martin Burkart, Karel Kostev
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: extract (Gbe) may contribute to slowing down the progression of dementia. This retrospective cohort study analyzed the association between Gbe prescriptions and the progression of dementia severity in a real-world setting. METHODS: This study was conducted using data from patients with an initial diagnosis of mild or moderate dementia between January 2005 and December 2022 from the IQVIA™ Disease Analyzer database. The follow-up period was up to 10 years. The association between Gbe prescription and dementia severity progression was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression, with adjustments made for age, sex, health insurance status, physician specialty, co-prescription of antidementia drugs, and co-diagnoses. RESULTS: A total of 4765 patients were included, of whom 177 were prescribed Gbe. The cumulative incidence of dementia severity progression was 12.7% for patients with Gbe prescription and 22.1% for those without. Gbe prescription was associated with a significantly decreased risk of dementia severity progression (hazard ratio: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.27-0.95), both in patients with mild (HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.22-0.90) and moderate dementia (HR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.06-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that Gbe prescription is associated with a reduced risk of dementia severity progression in a real-world setting.