Ginkgo biloba extract improves coronary blood flow in healthy elderly adults: role of endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

Abstract Advancing age decreases endothelial function; accordingly, it alters the physiological regulation of coronary blood flow. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) has well-documented anti-ageing effects. However, little is yet known about the pharmacological actions of GBE on endothelial dysfunction and coronary blood flow in healthy elderly adults. We designed the study to test the effects of GBE on distal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) blood flow and endothelium-dependent brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in healthy elderly adults. Sixty healthy elderly adults were randomly assigned to either GBE or control groups. LAD blood flow and brachial artery FMD were measured non-invasively using high-resolution ultrasound before and after intravenous administration of GBE or saline. GBE significantly increased LAD blood flow in maximal diastolic peak velocity (MDPV), maximal systolic peak velocity (MSPV) and diastolic time velocity integral (DTVI) compared with the placebo group (19.16±13.91% vs. 0.30±2.55%, 17.76±14.56% vs. 0.53±2.32%, and 21.73±16.13% vs. 0.81±2.33%, MDPV, MSPV, and DTVI improvement from baseline, respectively, p p r =0.538, 0.366, or 0.573, respectively, p p p