HEALTH UPDATE: 'memory' herb ginkgo may boost survival

A study conducted in France provides preliminary evidence that older people who take Ginkgo biloba may be extending their lives, but are not reducing their risk of dementia
Among 3,534 men and women 65 and older, those who used the herb were 24 percent less likely to die over a 13-year period than their peers who didn't take ginkgo, Dr Jean-Francois Dartigues at the University of Bordeaux and colleagues found.
Dartigues and his team note that Ginkgo biloba extract has been sold in France for more than three decades to enhance memory. To date, they add, most studies have focused on whether the herb prevents dementia, but because older people have a much greater risk of dying, dementia-free survival should also be included as an outcome.