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How serendipitous... I rest my case! Marla L. Gillham PO Box 343 Yachats, OR 97498-0343 541.547.4090 [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> To: Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2001 6:15 PM Subject: Guidelines Stress Different Drugs for Parkinson's > WIRE: 06/11/2001 5:36 pm ET > Guidelines Stress Different Drugs for Parkinson's > > NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most patients with Parkinson's > disease should first be treated with a class of drugs known as > dopamine agonists, according to new guidelines published on > Monday. > > Roughly one million people in the US have Parkinson's, an > irreversible neurodegenerative disorder characterized by > tremors, loss of balance, slow movements and difficulty > thinking. The disease is caused by a steady loss of the brain > chemical dopamine and occurs when the dopamine-producing > cells in the brain that control movement begin to die. > > Traditionally, patients have been treated with levodopa > (L-dopa), a drug that boosts levels of dopamine in the brain. > But over the long term, this drug can cause involuntary > movements of the mouth, face and limbs, usually on one side > of the body. > > Dopamine agonists appear to control the symptoms of > Parkinson's disease without causing these long-term side > effects, particularly when given to patients in the early > stages of the disease, Dr. William C. Koller, director of the > division of movement disorders at the University of Miami in > Florida, told reporters. > > "The key issue in the treatment of Parkinson's disease is > to maintain quality of life," he said. "[With dopamine > agonists] you can control the symptoms now and 10 years > from now and patients are just as functional, whereas with > levodopa, patients experience side effects [that may lead to] > embarrassment and patients become socially reclusive." > > Koller stressed that Parkinson's is a complex disease and > doctors treating patients with the disorder should take into > account their individual needs. Very elderly patients and those > who have difficulty thinking might benefit from levodopa as a > first-line therapy, he said, as the drug is known to relieve > symptoms rapidly. > > The guidelines are published in a supplement to the June > issue of Neurology. > > SOURCE: Neurology 2001;56:suppl 5. > > http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20010611_307.html > > ********** > > New treatment guidelines for Parkinson's disease > http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/conditions/06/11/parkinsons.guidelines/index. html > > ********** > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn