Study links drug to higher Parkinson's death rate
(c) 1995 Copyright Nando.net
(c) 1995 Reuter Information Service
LONDON (Dec 15, 1995 - 21:00 EST) - Parkinson's Disease sufferers
treated with a combination of two drugs, selegiline and levodopa,
showed a higher mortality rate in a study than those treated
with levodopa alone, British researchers said on Friday.
The researchers working for the Parkinson's Disease Society studied
520 patients and found that 76 out of 271 taking both drugs died
over a 10-year period compared with 44 patients out of 249 taking
levodopa alone.
The study, reported in the British Medical Journal, was the first
to find a higher mortality rate linked to selegiline, also known
as Deprenyl and Eldepryl.
"There have been a number of studies researching the effects of
the drug and this is the only one that has shown any increase in
mortality rates for people taking selegiline with levodopa.
"More research is needed before firm conclusions can be made," the
society said.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder resulting
when certain cells in the brain stop functioning properly. The cells
produce dopamine, a chemical messenger the body needs to coordinate
properly.
Levodopa works as a replacement for dopamine because it converts into
the chemical messenger once it reaches the brain. Selegiline inhibits
the breakdown of dopamine and was also thought to slow down the
progression of Parkinson's disease.
"This study, in addition to raising concerns about mortality rates,
has cast doubts about the potential clinical benefits of the drug
and the claims that it can slow down the progression of the disease,"
said the Parkinson's Disease Society in a statement.
But the society said sufferers should not stop taking selegiline
before consulting their doctors.
The researchers had not yet found the precise reason for the increased
death rates found in the study among patients taking selegiline, it said.
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