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Supermario and Linda: You are both correct about the word "advertisement:" it does refer to a banner ad. I missed the banner because I use a program called AdSubtract which blocks many banners to speed up downloading. Yet, the word advertisement that appears above the banner was not blocked. My other comments concerning the JAMA article and the abstract are still very relevant, and my claim that HealthScout misrepresents the findings still stands - there is not a single place in the abstract or article in which these investigators claim to have debunked the idea that sleep attacks happen. They just document that they are rare, but even in their population of 638 patients there were some. They felt they were unable to prove that they were related to the drugs. That, of course, does not disprove the association, as Carole Menser emphasizes. Jorge ----- Original Message ----- From: "supermario" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 8:57 AM Subject: Re: Please read - important > Jorge, > > I believe the"advertisement" refers to the box and not to the article, if > you go to > their home page, you will find the same format. > > Mario > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jorge Romero MD" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 8:56 PM > Subject: Re: Please read - important > > > > To Parkinsn List: > > > > I just wanted to share with you the fact that the "news report" by the > > Health Scout News is an advertisement!!!! If you don't believe it, go to: > > > > http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=1&id=505649 > > > > Maybe Carol Menser and Edith, and all the others who have protested are > > correct after all. The "reporter" totally misrepresents the findings in > the > > study. > > > > If you go to the Health Scout News Site, and find this article, at the top > > you will see, in small print: > > > > > > Advertisement > > > > > > Printer Friendly Send to a Friend > > > > > > Parkinson's Drugs Don't Cause Sudden Sleep > > > > Study: Nodding off during day common, but not > while > > driving > > > > By Ed Edelson > > HealthScoutNews Reporter > > > > TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthScoutNews) -- Debunking > > previous research, a new study finds no connection between medications > > people with Parkinson's disease take and their sudden bouts of sleepiness > > while driving. > > The finding is especially important in Canada, > > because that government has required warning letters about pramipexole > > (Mirapex) and ropinirole (Requip), based on studies suggesting they > promote > > sleepiness, says Dr. Douglas E. Hobson, lead author and an assistant > > professor of neurology at the University of Manitoba. > > > > "When the Canadian government requested the > warning > > letters on these two drugs, it said the warning was pending further > > information," Hobson says. "This is further information." > > > > The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not > issued > > a similar warning, but many doctors here have been cautious about > > prescribing the drugs. > > > > Excessive daytime sleepiness is known to be common > > among patients with Parkinson's disease, in which a deficit of the brain > > chemical dopamine can cause trembling, stiffness, difficulty walking, and > > reduced mental function. The two drugs, which promote dopamine activity, > > have been reported to cause sudden sleepiness while driving. > > > > But a study of 638 patients at 18 Canadian clinics > > found no such connection, says a report in tomorrow's issue of the Journal > > of the American Medical Association. > > > > The researchers used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale > > and an Inappropriate Sleep Composite Score, specifically developed for the > > study, to determine not only the risk of falling asleep, but also how > often > > it occurs. > > > > They found 51 percent of the patients reported > > daytime sleepiness, and the number of times that happened was not affected > > by any medication the patients were taking. They also found the risk of > the > > much-feared sudden onset of sleep while driving is rare. Only 16 patients > > reported a sudden onset of sleep while driving, and only 3 said it > occurred > > without warning. > > > > The score on the two tests, taken together, "is a > > useful tool to identify patients who are abnormally sleepy, and may play a > > role in increasing patient and physician awareness of this significant > > clinical problem," the journal report says. > > > > "We were looking for predictors, because everyone > > was told they shouldn't drive," Hobson says. "This will be helpful in > > selecting out the patients who shouldn't be driving." > > > > The study is also useful because it gives solid > > information about unwanted sleepiness, he says. > > > > "No one knew how often it happens," Hobson says. > > "Knowing the frequency will help a lot in relation to regulations about > > driving." > > > > The study will help doctors treating Parkinson > > patients because it gives them a way of identifying patients at high risk > of > > unwanted sleepiness, says Dr. Cynthia L. Comella, of Rush-Presbyterian-St > > Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. > > > > "The most important point of the study is the > > ability to measure sleepiness in Parkinson's disease," says Comella, who > > wrote an accompanying editorial. "The method is quite simple and > clinically > > applicable. Until now, nothing has been shown to assess sleepiness in > > correlation with driving." > > > > What To Do > > > > "Patients considered to be at risk for falling > > asleep behind the wheel should be cautioned to avoid driving, regardless > of > > the drug treatment," Comella writes. > > > > Basic information about Parkinson's disease can be > > found at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or > the > > National Parkinson Foundation. > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "supermario" <[log in to unmask]> > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 9:32 AM > > Subject: Please read - important > > > > > > Parkinson's Drugs Don't Cause Sudden Sleep > > by: Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews Reporter > > > > 01/22/2002 > > > > (HealthScoutNews) -- Debunking previous research, a new study finds no > > connection between medications people with Parkinson's disease take and > > their sudden bouts of sleepiness while driving. > > > > The finding is especially important in Canada, because that government has > > required warning letters about pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole > > (Requip), based on studies suggesting they promote sleepiness, says Dr. > > Douglas E. Hobson, lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at > > the University of Manitoba. > > > > "When the Canadian government requested the warning letters on these two > > drugs, it said the warning was pending further information," Hobson says. > > "This is further information." > > > > The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not issued a similar warning, > but > > many doctors here have been cautious about prescribing the drugs. > > > > Excessive daytime sleepiness is known to be common among patients with > > Parkinson's disease, in which a deficit of the brain chemical dopamine can > > cause trembling, stiffness, difficulty walking, and reduced mental > function. > > The two drugs, which promote dopamine activity, have been reported to > cause > > sudden sleepiness while driving. > > > > But a study of 638 patients at 18 Canadian clinics found no such > connection, > > says a report in tomorrow's issue of the Journal of the American Medical > > Association. > > > > The researchers used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and an Inappropriate > Sleep > > Composite Score, specifically developed for the study, to determine not > only > > the risk of falling asleep, but also how often it occurs. > > > > They found 51 percent of the patients reported daytime sleepiness, and the > > number of times that happened was not affected by any medication the > > patients were taking. They also found the risk of the much-feared sudden > > onset of sleep while driving is rare. Only 16 patients reported a sudden > > onset of sleep while driving, and only 3 said it occurred without warning. > > > > The score on the two tests, taken together, "is a useful tool to identify > > patients who are abnormally sleepy, and may play a role in increasing > > patient and physician awareness of this significant clinical problem," the > > journal report says. > > > > "We were looking for predictors, because everyone was told they shouldn't > > drive," Hobson says. "This will be helpful in selecting out the patients > who > > shouldn't be driving." > > > > The study is also useful because it gives solid information about unwanted > > sleepiness, he says. > > > > "No one knew how often it happens," Hobson says. "Knowing the frequency > will > > help a lot in relation to regulations about driving." > > > > The study will help doctors treating Parkinson patients because it gives > > them a way of identifying patients at high risk of unwanted sleepiness, > says > > Dr. Cynthia L. Comella, of Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center in > > Chicago. > > > > "The most important point of the study is the ability to measure > sleepiness > > in Parkinson's disease," says Comella, who wrote an accompanying > editorial. > > "The method is quite simple and clinically applicable. Until now, nothing > > has been shown to assess sleepiness in correlation with driving." > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn