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Eating Peppers Tied to Lower Parkinson's Risk, Study Finds

Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 9 – Eating vegetables that naturally contain nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce your risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. Previous research has found that smoking and other types of tobacco use are associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, and it is believed that nicotine provides the protective effect. Tobacco belongs to a plant family called Solanaceae and some plants in this family are edible sources of nicotine. This new study included nearly 500 people who were newly diagnosed with Parkinson's and another 650 unrelated people who did not have the neurological disorder, which is typically marked by tremors and other movement problems. The study participants provided information about their tobacco use and diets. In general, vegetable consumption had no effect on Parkinson's risk. The more vegetables ... Read more

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Muhammad Ali's Daughter Champions Fight Against Parkinson's Disease

Posted 16 days ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 3 – At 71, boxing legend Muhammad Ali – the only three-time World Heavyweight Champion – continues to fight his most challenging opponent ever: Parkinson's disease. And according to his daughter, he's still facing life straight on. "This is the man who when he was fighting would say 'I'm going to knock the other guy out in five,'" said Maryum (May May) Ali. "That personality translates to how he deals with Parkinson's. No one's really been that confident as an athlete, and that's how he is with the disease." May May is Ali's first child. Married four times, the former champion has six other daughters and two sons. Thinking back, May May believes Ali was showing signs of Parkinson's in his second-to-last fight, a few years before his 1984 diagnosis. "You lose your [sense of] smell, get constipation issues," she said. "Most people have those non-motor symptoms first. But no ... Read more

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Early Thinking Problems May Signal Future Dementia in Parkinson's Patients

Posted 25 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 25 – People newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who have minor thinking problems may be on the way to early dementia, according to a new Norwegian study. Some people with Parkinson's go on to develop dementia, but whether it is possible to predict who will fall into this group hasn't been clear. In this new study, researchers wanted to see if early signs of thinking problems would indicate who these patients might be. "Mild thinking problems seem to be an important clinical concept for early detection of patients with Parkinson's disease who are at risk to develop dementia," said lead researcher Dr. Kenn Freddy Pedersen, from the Norwegian Center for Movement Disorders at Stavanger University Hospital. "Specifically, we found that more than 27 percent of patients with thinking problems at diagnosis progressed to dementia during the first three years of follow-up," he ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Dementia

New Drugs May Offer Hope to Parkinson's Patients

Posted 14 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 14 – Parkinson's disease has no cure, but three experimental treatments may help patients cope with unpleasant symptoms and related problems, according to new research. The research findings will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego from March 16 to 23. "Progress is being made to expand our use of medications, develop new medications and to treat symptoms that either we haven't been able to treat effectively or we didn't realize were problems for patients," said Dr. Robert Hauser, professor of neurology and director of the University of South Florida Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center in Tampa. Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder, affects more than 1 million Americans. It destroys nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine, which helps control muscle movement. Patients experience shaking or ... Read more

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Deep Brain Stimulation May Help in Early Stages of Parkinson's

Posted 13 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 – Deep brain stimulation has been used for years to help relieve motor problems in people with advanced Parkinson's. Now, new research finds that the procedure may also help people in earlier stages of the disease. The treatment involves placing electrodes in specific parts of the brain. "So far, all studies have dealt with patients who had very severe disease," explained senior study author Dr. Gunther Deuschl, chairman of neurology at University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany. "The present group . . . are well within the spectrum of disease severity which has been treated with medication only. The surprising result was that even at this stage, the patients had a much better outcome after two years than those who were treated with medication alone." The report is published in the Feb. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Standard ... Read more

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Review Finds No Evidence Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Are Infectious

Posted 4 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 4 – A new analysis did not unearth any evidence to support concerns that neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's might be infectious. The finding stems from a review of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease risk among people who had received potentially contaminated human growth hormone from cadavers in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, as a treatment for stunted growth. Since then, a synthetic version of the growth hormone has been developed for these patients. "Basically, the concern has been that the pathology of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's could be passed, or can move, from cell to cell," explained study author Dr. John Trojanowski, co-director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and the Institute on Aging at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. "For example, there was recent evidence of cell-to-cell disease ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease

Some Parkinson's Patients Discover an Artistic Side

Posted 31 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 31 – Some people with Parkinson's disease discover untapped artistic abilities after their diagnosis – a phenomenon that seems to be related to their dopamine-enhancing medication. Over the years, reports have popped up in the medical literature on Parkinson's patients who suddenly discover they are painters, sculptors or writers at heart. Dan Joseph is one of them. After being diagnosed with the movement disorder a dozen years ago, the former doctor eventually took up painting. But it wasn't because he planned on becoming an artist. "A friend of mine said, 'You're not doing anything. Why don't you paint?'" said Joseph, a 79-year-old Santa Barbara, Calif., resident. He decided to follow that advice and soon discovered that when he painted, his hand tremors improved. He also discovered that he actually had talent; about six years after first picking up a paintbrush, ... Read more

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Early Parkinson's Patients May Suffer Some Symptoms in Silence

Posted 14 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Jan. 14 – People with early stage Parkinson's disease often experience anxiety, constipation, drooling and other symptoms not related to movement problems, new research finds. Because movement problems are the main symptom of the disease, these non-motor symptoms often go undiagnosed and untreated, according to the study, which was published in the Jan. 15 issue of the journal Neurology. "Oftentimes people with early Parkinson's don't even mention these symptoms to their doctors, and doctors don't ask about them," study author Tien Khoo, of Newcastle University in England, said in a journal news release. "Yet many times [the symptoms] can be treated effectively." The researchers asked 159 newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients and 99 people without the disease whether they experienced any of 30 non-motor symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems, sleep problems and ... Read more

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Depression a Key Factor in Health of Parkinson's Patients: Study

Posted 28 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 28 – Depression is the most important determinant of the health status of people with Parkinson's disease, according to early findings from a large study of Parkinson's patients. Parkinson's is a brain disease that affects muscle and causes tremors, muscle rigidity and slowed movement. It's believed that about half of Parkinson's patients experience some form of depression at some point, and research suggests that depression and anxiety are more common in Parkinson's patients than in patients with other chronic diseases. The early findings from the Parkinson's Outcomes Project were released Wednesday by the National Parkinson Foundation and suggest that the impact of depression on the health status of Parkinson's patients is almost twice that of the movement problems associated with the disease. The researchers also noted that depression can be difficult to diagnose in ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, Parkinson's Disease

Head Injury Plus Herbicide Exposure May Triple Parkinson's Risk

Posted 13 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 13 – People who have had a head injury at some point in their lives and also have lived or worked near areas where the herbicide paraquat was used may have a threefold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. Paraquat, which can be deadly to humans and animals, is commonly used on crops to control weeds. The study participants all lived in an agricultural area of central California. The group included about 350 people with Parkinson's disease and about 750 people without the disorder. They reported whether they had ever had a head injury that resulted in a loss of consciousness for more than five minutes. The researchers also used state data and other sources of information to assess paraquat use within about one-third of a mile of the participants' homes and workplaces. The investigators found that Parkinson's disease patients were ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Head Injury

Exercise a Likely Tool for Parkinson's Patients

Posted 9 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 9 – Patients with Parkinson's disease can improve walking, muscle strength and fitness with moderate exercise, a new study finds. Difficulty walking is a hallmark of this central nervous system disorder, and current treatments don't preserve mobility as the disease progresses. Moderate exercise may help preserve mobility, the researchers said. "This study shows that treadmill training and resistance exercise are both effective to improve walking in Parkinson's disease," said lead researcher Dr. Lisa Shulman, medical director of the Neurology Ambulatory Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore. "Walking problems are among the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease," she said. "The study suggests that the combination of treadmill and resistance training may be a particularly good approach in Parkinson's disease." The report was published ... Read more

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FDA Medwatch Alert: Mirapex (pramipexole): Drug Safety Communication - Ongoing Safety Review, Possible Risk of Heart Failure

Posted 19 Sep 2012 by Drugs.com

ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare profesionals about a possible increased risk of heart failure with Mirapex (pramipexole). Results of recent studies suggest a potential risk of heart failure that needs further review of available data. Because of the study limitations, FDA is not able to determine whether Mirapex increases the risk of heart failure. FDA is continuing to work with the manufacturer to clarify further the risk of heart failure with Mirapex and will update the public when more information is available. FDA evaluated a pooled analysis of randomized clinical trials and found that heart failure was more frequent with Mirapex than with placebo; however, these results were not statistically significant. FDA also evaluated two epidemiologic studies that suggested an increased risk of new onset of heart failure with Mirapex use. However, study limitations make it difficult to ... Read more

Related support groups: Restless Legs Syndrome, Parkinson's Disease, Mirapex, Pramipexole

Scientists Find Links Among Parkinson's, Cancer and Family History

Posted 4 Sep 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 4 – People with Parkinson's disease and their relatives may be at increased risk for prostate cancer and melanoma, and people with those cancers may be at increased risk for Parkinson's, a new study suggests. University of Utah researchers estimated the risks for cancer among nearly 3,000 people in Utah who died of Parkinson's disease between 1904 and 2008, and in their relatives. They also analyzed data from the Utah Cancer Registry on more than 100,000 people diagnosed with cancer. The study was published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Neurology. The researchers found that men with Parkinson's disease and their male relatives had a significantly increased risk for prostate cancer. They also found that prostate cancer patients and their male relatives had a significantly increased risk for Parkinson's, according to a journal news release. Parkinson's disease is a ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Prostate Cancer, Melanoma - Metastatic

Higher Dose of Novartis Drug Exelon Patch Approved By FDA for Patients With Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

Posted 4 Sep 2012 by Drugs.com

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a higher dose of Exelon Patch (rivastigmine transdermal system) for the treatment of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The new 13.3 mg/24 h dosage strength of Exelon Patch provides physicians with a new treatment option for patients who are experiencing a decline in overall function and cognition. "Alzheimer's disease is marked by progressive symptomatic decline, resulting in an increasingly large physical and emotional challenge for the patient and caregiver," said Jeffrey Cummings, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. "Having multiple options for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease will help physicians better care for patients with the hope of improving function and cognition." Approval of Exelon Patch 13.3 mg/24 h was ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Exelon, Rivastigmine

Discovery May Improve Diagnosis of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Posted 29 Aug 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 – Four indicators, or "biomarkers," found in cerebrospinal fluid can help differentiate patients with Alzheimer's disease from those with other forms of dementia, and a different biomarker can distinguish patients with Parkinson's disease from those with parkinsonian disorders, researchers say. Overlapping symptoms, especially in the early stages, can make it difficult to distinguish between regular Parkinson's disease and atypical Parkinsonism, and also between Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, the study authors explained. The investigators identified the five biomarkers by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples from 453 patients with Parkinson's, Parkinson's disease with dementia, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. "Together with earlier published data, our results indicate that these five [cerebrospinal fluid] biomarkers might have clinical ... Read more

Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease

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