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Dr. Stanley Fahn at Columbia-Presbyterian in New York comments on the UK report of iincreased mortality in the patients takiing deprenyl (Eldepryl. "We have read the report from the UK regarding the finding of increased mortality in patients treated with L-dopa plus deprenyl compared to those placed on just L-dopa (without deprenyl. This increase in mortality occurred 3 to 5 years after starting that study. The UK report should be considered preliminary, for there are many unanswered questions, including: 1. How many patients continued on deprenyl once placed on it? 2. How many patients originally assigned to the non-deprenyl group were eventually placed on it? In other words, there was no information in the paper on commpliance with treatment assignments. 3. Many of the patients were lost to follow-up so the data are incomplete, and 4. no information was given as to the causes of death. The UK investigators did not report what they are recommending to patients under their care. The only advice in their paper is to have patients talk to their own doctors. This is sound advice on every drug, not just deprenyl. Here is our view: Because the report is preliminary, we are not yet convinced that taking deprenyl actually leads to increased death after 3-5 years. Nevertheless, we take the report seriously and divide our recommendations into two categories: 1. For our patients taking deprenyl along with L-dopa (usualllly in the form of Sinemet>, we recommend that if deprenyl is helping to control the symptoms of parkinsonism, it should be continued. If it is not helping, then it should be discontinued. If one doesn't kmow if it is helping or not, one can test this by stopping the drug and seeing if it makes any difference. 2. For our patients on deprenyl without concomitant L-dopa, there is no indication that deprenyl should be discontinued.