Journal Top Ten, Columns-Drugs & Supplements, April 2005

ARTICLE: "Herb-drug interactions: interactions between Ginkgo biloba and prescription medications"

SUMMARY: Geriatric patients typically present with one chronic disease per decade over age 50. Each chronic disease typically requires long-term drug therapy, meaning most older patients require several drugs to control their conditions and/or maintain their health. Simultaneously, the use of complementary and alternative medications has increased in the United States over the last 20 years, reaching 36 percent in 2002; herbal medicine use accounts for approximately 22 percent of all CAM use. Older adults often add herbal medicines to the …