Abstract
It has been a clinical challenge to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present commentary we discuss whether herbal therapy could be a novel treatment method for AD on the basis of results from clinical trials, and discuss the implications for potential therapy for AD pathophysiology. There is evidence to suggest that single herbs or herbal formulations may offer certain complementary cognitive benefits to the approved drugs. The current evidence supporting their use alone, however, is inconclusive or inadequate owing to many methodological limitations. Herbal mixtures may have advantages with multiple target regulation compared with the single-target antagonist in the view of traditional Chinese medicine. Several clinical trials using herbal mixtures are being conducted in China and will hopefully show promising results for treating AD in the near future.
Highlights
The ultimate aim of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy is to stop or slow down the disease progression
Herbal medicine has long been used in China as therapy for dementia
In the past 10 years, herbal drugs have seldom been approved for use alone in treating dementia
Summary
The ultimate aim of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy is to stop or slow down the disease progression. Of the four most recent trials to report results, three studies found no difference between Ginkgo biloba, at different doses, and placebo [3], and one study found very large treatment effects in favor of Ginkgo biloba, but the trial sample size was very small [4]. Another recent trial reported negative results in reducing cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment [5]. Overall the current evidence supporting clinical use of Huperzine A is presently inconclusive or inadequate
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