Ginger's Therapeutic Potential in Asthma (GINGER)

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to study whether there are potential benefits of consuming ginger by individuals with asthma.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Asthma
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Ginger Extract

Detailed Description

Presently an estimated 25.9 million Americans suffer from asthma and over half have at least one asthma attack per year. Recent studies found that 60% of moderate asthmatics and 70% of severe asthmatics report using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to self-treat their asthma symptoms.The exact mechanism of action of these agents is unclear but may involve attenuation of allergic response, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and/or direct effects on airway smooth muscle which are responsible for airway narrowing in asthma.

Studies done in mouse models of asthma and directly on airway smooth muscle cells demonstrate that ginger blocks one of the critical inflammatory pathways in asthma and thus leads to reduced airway inflammation and relaxation of airway smooth muscle. Clinical trials with chronic oral ginger therapy in humans have demonstrated safe consumption of 2 grams per day for 28 days with demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in colon cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that oral ginger at a dose of 2 grams per day will reduce airway inflammation and will reduce serum levels of asthma related inflammatory markers.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10032
      • Columbia University Asthma Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Men or women age 18 or older;
2. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) +/- long acting β-agonists/long acting muscarinics and montelukast;
3. Physician diagnosed asthma;
4. Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) ≥60% of predicted
5. Methacholine PC(20) < 16 mg/ml if taking ICS and < 8mg/ml if not taking ICS at Visit 2.
6. Non-smoker (e.g., tobacco, e-cigarette, marijuana) for ≥1 yr.;
7. ≤10 pack-year smoking history;
8. Suboptimal control of asthma as determined by a score < 19 or less on the Asthma Control Test (ACT) at Screening Visit (Visit 1) and Randomization Visit (Visit 3).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Other major chronic illnesses: Conditions which in the judgment of the study physician would interfere with participation in the study, e.g., non-skin cancer, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, severe hypertension, renal failure, liver disorders, malabsorption disorders, immunodeficiency states, major neuropsychiatric disorder;
2. Cardiovascular problems: Myocardial infarction or stroke in last 3 months Uncontrolled hypertension Known aortic aneurysm
3. History of physician diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
4. Medication use: Current consumption of ginger supplements, oral corticosteroid use within the past 6 weeks, use of an investigational treatment in the previous 30 days, known adverse reaction to ginger or ginger products;
5. Females of childbearing potential: Pregnant or lactating; participants of appropriate age who might be pregnant at the time of enrollment will be screened with urine pregnancy tests at each visit and cannot participate if pregnant. Participants must agree to use effective contraception during the trial.
6. Inability to perform acceptable and repeatable spirometry maneuvers throughout the test procedure.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Active drug; Subjects assigned to the intervention will receive 2 grams daily of Ginger Extract for 56 days.	Drug: Ginger Extract; 2gm Capsule of Ginger extract; Other Names: Ginger
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Subjects assigned to the placebo group will receive a matching placebo for 56 days.	Drug: Placebo; Matching Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Tolerance to Inhaled Methacholine	A methacholine challenge test is a medical test used to assist in the diagnosis of asthma. The patient breathes in nebulized methacholine at gradually increasing doubling doses, starting with diluent only. Methacholine provokes bronchoconstriction, or narrowing of the airways via M3 receptors. The degree of narrowing can then be quantified by spirometry which is performed after inhalation of each dose. Methacholine provocation dose (PD)20 values will be used to measure any change in airway hyperresponsiveness.	Baseline and Day 28
Change in Tolerance to Inhaled Methacholine	A methacholine challenge test is a medical test used to assist in the diagnosis of asthma. The patient breathes in nebulized methacholine at gradually increasing doubling doses, starting with diluent only. Methacholine provokes bronchoconstriction, or narrowing of the airways via M3 receptors. The degree of narrowing can then be quantified by spirometry which is performed after inhalation of each dose. Methacholine provocation dose (PD20) values will be used to measure any change in airway hyperresponsiveness.	Baseline and Day 56
Change in Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO)	Measure of markers of asthmatic lung inflammation	Baseline and Day 28
Change in Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO)	Measure of markers of asthmatic lung inflammation	Baseline and Day 56

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Serum Cytokines	Measure of markers of asthmatic lung inflammation	Baseline and Day 56
Change in Eosinophilia	Measure of markers of asthmatic lung inflammation	Baseline and Day 56
Change in Score on the Asthma Control Test (ACT)	Asthma symptom score will be measured with the Asthma Control Test at Visit 1, 2 and 5.This instrument, which has been validated for ages 12-84 years, is a 4-week recall questionnaire that addresses issues of asthma control, symptoms, and nocturnal awakenings. The scores range from 5 (poor control of asthma) to 25 (complete control of asthma), with higher scores reflecting greater asthma control. An ACT score >19 indicates well-controlled asthma.	Baseline and Day 56
Change In Score on Juniper Mini-Asthma Specific Quality of Life (Mini AQLQ-J)	This questionnaire consists of 15 items in 4 domains with a 2-week recall period. Scores range from 7-105, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.	Baseline and Day 56

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Emily DiMango, MD
• Collaborators: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 22, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 28, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): February 28, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 10, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 10, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): October 15, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 27, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dietary supplement; Ginger
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Lung Diseases; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Bronchial Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity; Asthma
• Other Study ID Numbers: AAAR8427; R61AT009989 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No