Cardiovascular Effects

EGb 761 at a dose 200 mg administered to 60 patients intravenously for 4 d improved skin perfusion
and decreased blood viscosity without affecting plasma viscosity (Kleijnen and Knipschild, 1992).
Another GB extract, LI 1730, increased blood flow in nailfold capillaries and decreased erythrocyte
aggregation compared to placebo in 10 volunteers at a dose of 112.5 mg (Jung et al., 1990). Blood
pressure, heart rate, packed cell volume, and plasma viscosity were unchanged.
Many studies have demonstrated that ginkgolides are capable of inhibiting platelet activating factor
(PAF), which is involved in platelet aggregation and inflammatory processes such as are seen in
asthma, ulcerative colitis, and allergies. These studies have been reviewed elsewhere (Kleijnen and
Knipschild, 1992; Nemecz and Combest, 1997; Chavez and Chavez, 1998).