John Cottingham
Since the only references you cited were not from the scientific
literature, I wouild appreciate it if you could supply such a citation. The
data you quoted fails to mention the study design, i.e. were the patients
age- and comorbidity-matched? Were the only differences in medications the
presence/absence of selegiline? Was the cause of death determined in each
case, and was the distribution of causes similar in each group? Was the
difference, if any, in the distributions attributable to selegiline? As you
can see, I'm interested in the scientific validity of the study, and would
like to read it myself.
Thanks for the post, and, in advance, for the citation if you have it.
Don Glaeser
At 06:39 AM 12/16/95 -0600, you wrote:
>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.
>
>
>
>John Cottingham "The parkinsn list brings Knowledge, Comfort, Hope, and
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