ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Acta Phlebologica 2015 August;16(2):83-92

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Use of Ginkgo biloba phytosome in chronic venous disease: a pilot study

D’alessandro A. ¹, Caroli A. ², D’alessandro A. ³, Mandolesi D. ⁴, Venosi S. ⁵, Orsini A. ⁶, Riva A. ⁷, Morazzoni P. ⁷, Balbo A. ⁸, Mandolesi S. ⁹

¹ Department of Angiology, T. Masselli‑Mascia Hospital, San Severo, Foggia, Italy; ² National Epidemiological Observatory on Chronic Venous Insufficiency, Rome, Italy; ³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy; ⁴ Occupational Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ⁵ Department of Vascular Surgery Paride Stefanini, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ⁶ Department of Vascular Surgery, Gioia Hospital, Sora, Frosinone, Italy; ⁷ Department of Research and Development, Indena spa, Milan, Italy; ⁸ PL Pharma, Padua, Italy; ⁹ Department of Cardio‑vascular and Respiratory Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

AIM: Chronic venous disease (CVD) can be classified in seven clinical categories using the CHEAP system. Aim of this pilot study was to evaluate Ginkgo biloba’s (Agheron phytosome) therapeutic effects in patients affected by chronic venous disorders of the legs (CHEAP C1, C2, C3).
METHODS: We recruited 53 subjects with IVC at stage C1, C2 or C3. Oral anticoagulations, antiplatelet therapy and pregnancy have been exclusion criterion for that study.
Dosage of Ginkgoselect® Phytosome® was 120 mg once daily. Clinical evaluation was performed 1 month and 3 months after starting therapy with Ginkgo biloba.
RESULTS: From the anamnestic questionnaires resulted that the more common symptoms in our sample were represented by heavy legs (96%), aching legs (91%) and swelling (81.8%). Heavy legs (16.3%) and swelling (13.6%) were the commonest daily discomfort together with heat or burning sensation (21.8%).50 of 53 patients (95%) believed that their leg problem interfered with their normal social activities, in the most part of cases moderately.
The best results were obtained about the sense of heavy legs: there are significant statistical differences between day 0 and 90th day of treatment (P<0.01 X2=18.0798 and 6 degrees of freedom). At the end of the treatment, more than 60% of the sample rated the leg problem as mild (1, 2, 3 points), while at the beginning of the therapy only the 23% of the patient used this score. The differences (as improvement) about evening edema between day 0 and 90th day from the beginning of the therapy are not statistical significant, but there is a trend of significativity.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion Ginkgoselect® Phytosome® can significantly decrease the sense of “heavy legs” and, despite not reaching statistical significance, it shows potentiality in treatment of evening edema. Further study are necessary to evaluate all the potentiality of Ginkgo biloba’s extracts in CVD.