(Honor Whiteman/ Medical News Today) — An ancient herbal extract known as ginkgo biloba might benefit cognitive functioning after stroke, a new study suggests, when used in combination with aspirin.
Scientists have discovered that a daily dose of ginkgo biloba extract and aspirin can improve memory and “command and control” functions in people who experienced ischemic stroke.
The treatment was significantly more effective than aspirin alone.
Study co-author Qi Fang — from the Department of Neurology at The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China — and colleagues have reported their results in the journal Stroke & Vascular Neurology.
More than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year, which is the equivalent to one stroke every 40 seconds.
Around 87 percent of strokes are ischemic, wherein the artery that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked — most commonly due to a blood clot. (…)