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Boswellic Acids Improve Clinical Cognitive Scores and Reduce Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
Karima S, Aghamollaii V, Mahmoodi Baram S, Balenci L, Lanctôt KL, Kiss A, Tafakhori A, Mahdavi M et al.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2023-01-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Recent therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have had limited success. Considering the association of neuroinflammation with AD symptoms as demonstrated in multiple studies, assessment of the clinical efficacy of molecules that reduce systemic or brain inflammation is warranted. Objective This clinical trial assessed whether boswellic acids can improve cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms while reducing inflammation in AD patients. Methods A double-blind, placebo-controlled, study was conducted on 85 AD patients randomized to boswellic acids (K-Vie™ as the main ingredient in Memowell™) or placebo for 6 months. Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were compared to baseline and between groups and constituted the co-primary clinical efficacy endpoints. Secondary outcomes included neuropsychiatric assessment (Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire, NPI-Q) and assessment of AD and inflammation biomarkers. Results Patients on K-Vie™ showed a 3.1- and 1.6-unit improvement in MMSE and CDR-SOB scores, respectively, when compared to patients on placebo. NPI-Q analysis revealed significant improvement in the K-Vie™ but not in the placebo group. Only mild gastrointestinal side effects were reported in a few patients. Patients on K-Vie™ showed improvement in plasma AD biomarkers and reduction of key inflammatory cytokines including IL-6 and TNF. Conclusion Our results support the positive cognitive effects of boswellic acids by reducing the systemic inflammation.
Key findings
- Considering the association of neuroinflammation with AD symptoms as demonstrated in multiple studies, assessment of the clinical efficacy of molecules that reduce systemic or brain inflammation is warranted.
- Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were compared to baseline and between groups and constituted the co-primary clinical efficacy endpoints.
- Results Patients on K-Vie™ showed a 3.1- and 1.6-unit improvement in MMSE and CDR-SOB scores, respectively, when compared to patients on placebo.
- NPI-Q analysis revealed significant improvement in the K-Vie™ but not in the placebo group.
- Conclusion Our results support the positive cognitive effects of boswellic acids by reducing the systemic inflammation.
Why it matters
In a 6-month double-blind trial of 85 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, those given boswellic acids (K-Vie, the main ingredient in Memowell) improved by 3.1 units on the MMSE and 1.6 units on the CDR-SOB compared with placebo, and had lower levels of inflammatory signals such as IL-6 and TNF. Only mild stomach side effects were reported in a few patients. The authors say this supports a cognitive benefit tied to reducing body-wide inflammation, based on this one trial of 85 patients.
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 56 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 58 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 12 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.4 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 12 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37248896) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 56 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 56 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 58 out of 100. |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Karima, S., Aghamollaii, V., Mahmoodi Baram, S., Balenci, L., Lanctôt, K. L., Kiss, A., et al. (2023). Boswellic Acids Improve Clinical Cognitive Scores and Reduce Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-221026
Vancouver
Karima S, Aghamollaii V, Mahmoodi Baram S, Balenci L, Lanctôt KL, Kiss A, et al. Boswellic Acids Improve Clinical Cognitive Scores and Reduce Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2023. doi:10.3233/jad-221026. PMID: 37248896.
BibTeX
@article{karima2023-37248896,
author = {Karima, S. and Aghamollaii, V. and Mahmoodi Baram, S. and Balenci, L. and Lanctôt, K. L. and Kiss, A. and Tafakhori, A. and Mahdavi, M. and others},
title = {{Boswellic Acids Improve Clinical Cognitive Scores and Reduce Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.3233/jad-221026},
pmid = {37248896},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-221026}
}
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