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Judith, Sorry, I just now checked out Reuters & I now see why...you have to be a member to look into articles on that site. Thanks for taking the time to send the post. I'm just sorry I can't read it all & share with my husband. Sorry for curt with my last post. It's just that my server is beginning to recognize my voice when I call. Linda [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Judith Richards <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> Date: Friday, August 21, 1998 6:50 AM Subject: Pd news:Selegiline/Levodopa Mortality Link Excess Mortality Linked To Combined Therapy With Levodopa And Selegiline For Early Parkinson's LONDON, Apr 30,1998 (Reuters) - Confirmatory data show no advantage to administering levodopa and selegiline together for treatment of early, mild Parkinson's disease over administering levodopa alone, according to members of the Parkinson's Disease Research Group of the United Kingdom. In an update of earlier studies, the UK research group reports evidence of a excess mortality rate for patients who undergo combined levodopa and selegiline treatment compared with levodopa monotherapy. Their findings appear in the April 18th issue of the British Medical Journal. Dr. Y. Ben-Shlomo, of the University of Bristol, and colleagues reanalyzed the data from an earlier randomised trial and from an extended follow-up to that trial. They looked for factors that could explain the excess mortality reported in the first study, such as "...revised diagnosis of Parkinson's, autonomic or cardiovascular effects, more rapid disease progression or drug interactions." In the current trial, they reviewed the cases of more than 600 Parkinson's patients who were not on dopaminergic therapy and the cases of a subgroup of patients who died during the original trial and during 21 months of extended follow-up. In the initial study, patients assigned to arm 1 of the trial received levodopa and a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor; patients in arm 2 received levodopa and a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor together with selegiline, and those in arm 3, bromocriptine monotherapy. Dr. Ben-Shlomo's group now reports "...updated and new death rates in subjects in arms 1 and 2 and in those who were randomised from arm 3 (bromocriptine) to arms 1 or 2. Dr. Ben-Shlomo and colleagues say that new data still show an exces