JOHN E. LEWIS¹*, STACY E. CUTRONO², ANGELICA B. MELILLO¹, EDUARD TIOZZO¹, JOHANNA LOPEZ¹, SARAH ADWAN¹, LAWRENCE CHEN¹, SUSANNA LEONARD¹, MARK HOWELL³, JANELLE DIAZ³, JUDI M. WOOLGER⁴, JANET KONEFAL¹, 
ELAINE PATERSON⁵, DAVID BARNES⁵

Corresponding Author*
1. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,
1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
2. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/UMHC, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,
1475 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
3. UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,
1120 NW 14th Street, 9th Floor, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
4. Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,
1120 NW 14th Street, 9th Floor, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
5. Standard Process, Inc., 1200 W. Royal Lee Drive, Palmyra, WI, 53156, USA

Abstract

Background: Declining quality of life (QOL) is increasingly prevalent among the elderly. Certain nutrients may be effective at improving QOL.
Objective: The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate (a) Ginkgo Synergy^® and Choline and (b) OPC Synergy^® and Catalyn^®, compared to placebo, on QOL among healthy older adults.
Design: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups and followed for 6 months. Outcomes included quality of life, depression, and anxiety.
Results: The Ginkgo Synergy^® and Choline arm showed significant improvements on vitality and depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Our study showed modest effects of a ginkgo biloba and choline-based formula on QOL and mental health. However, the results of the study may not be generalizable to the entire population of healthy older adults, as our sample was predominantly white, non-Hispanic, and well-educated.

INTRODUCTION

In the United States, the elderly population (>65 years of age) is expected to increase by 20%-50% by the year 2030 (1). Aging is usually accompanied with decreasing overall quality of life (QOL) (2), which was defined by the World Health Organization in 1995 as “the individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value system in which they live, and in relationship to their goals, expectations, and standards” (3).
Conventional Western medicine has not delivered a wholly effective preventative strategy for maintaining physical and mental health among the elderly. Therefore, many consumers have turned to nutritional therapies with total sales of dietary supplements estimated at more than $30 billion in 2010 (4). Interestingly, according to results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1988 and 1994, the usage rates among elderly may be even higher (5). Among males and females 60 and older, the rate of dietary supplement use was approximately 42% and 54%, respectively, whereas males and females between 20 and 59 years of age averaged 35% and 47%, ...