March 1st, 2010
Lowering the risk for developing Parkinson’s disease can be as easy as regularly taking ibuprofen, the common anti-inflammatory drug, researchers from Harvard are reporting.
People who took ibuprofen three or more times a week showed a 40% lower risk for developing the disease than others who did not take the common pain reliever, the study revealed.
These findings are especially important for anyone who is at a serious risk for Parkinson’s disease. Study author Dr. Xiang Gao, an instructor and epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston adds that “there is thus a need for better preventive interventions. In this context, our findings regarding the potential neuroprotective effect of ibuprofen, one of the most commonly used analgesics, on Parkinson’s disease may have important public health and clinical implications.”
Parkinson’s is a disease that takes over the nerve cells in the brain that control muscle movement. In the United States, around 1 million people have been affected by the disease. The exact cause of the disease is still unknown, but scientists believe it may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Currently, the prescription drug levodopa is issued as the standard treatment for Parkinson’s, but more options are still needed.
Results from Gao’s study came from analyzing data on 136,474 people who did not have Parkinson’s at the beginning of the research. After a six year span, 293 people were diagnosed with the disease. The participants who took the largest doses of ibuprofen were found to be less likely to have developed Parkison’s over those who took smaller amounts of the drug. No other pain reliever was found to decrease the risk for Parkinson’s.
Dr. Michele Tagliati, an associate professor of neurology and director of the Parkinson’s Disease Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, described the study as “eye-opening” and stressed the need for further study in the area.
Tagliati added that he would now “definitely discuss ibuprofen use” with his patients. This is due to the fact that if helps protect against the disease, it may also benefit those who already have Parkinson’s disease.
Doctors have cautioned that continual use of ibuprofen can lead to gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). But Tagliati responds that, in comparison, the effects of gastritis are significantly less than the effects of Parkinson’s which can include loss of balance, stiffness, hallucinations and dementia.
For more information about Ibuprofen, Levodopa prescription drugs and other treatment for Parkinson’s, visit http://www.orderonlinedrugs.com
