hi all
At 10:18 1999/04/27 -0400, judith sent in :
>Company Press Release
>
>SOURCE: National Parkinson Foundation
>
>Parkinson's Cases in 21st Century Likely to Increase as Baby Boomers Age
>and Diagnosis Improves; Increasing Functional Time is a Critical Goal of
>Parkinson's Therapy
>
>NEW YORK, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Parkinson's disease, a debilitating
>neurological disorder affecting an estimated 1.5 million Americans, will
>be on the increase in the next century. While this disease is most
>common among people over 60, many are also diagnosed in their 50s and
>40s. In support of Parkinson's Awareness Month in April, leading
>neurologists are alerting Americans that the aging of the baby boomer
>generation, an increase in life expectancy, and more precise diagnosis
>will cause the number of Parkinson's patients to grow substantially.
>
>Parkinson Population to Grow in the Next Century
>
>Currently, 60,000 new cases of this progressive movement disorder are
>diagnosed each year. One of every 100 Americans over the age of 60 has
>PD. By 2020, when the over-60 population grows to 54 million, another
>half million people are expected to be affected by this potentially
>debilitating disease.
>
>``In addition to the growing 60-plus population, more patients are being
>diagnosed in their 50s and even 40s,'' says Lisa Shulman, MD, assistant
>professor of neurology at the University of Miami and co-director of the
>National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence in Miami. ``This is
>because we now have a better understanding of Parkinson's disease and
>its early signs and symptoms.''
>
>According to the National Parkinson Foundation, one third of patients
>develop symptoms before age 50 and 10 percent are diagnosed before age
>40.
>
>Originally described as the ``shaking palsy'' by James Parkinson (whose
>birthday, April 14, has become World PD Day) in 1817, Parkinson's
>disease symptoms tend to emerge gradually over several years. At first,
>patients may find they are becoming clumsy or slow. Sometimes, people
>attribute their symptoms to ``arthritis'' or simply getting
>older. Eventually, however, most Parkinson's disease patients find that
>their balance becomes impaired or that it becomes increasingly difficult
>to accomplish simple movements like standing up from a chair.
>
>Common symptoms of this debilitating condition include: tremors,
>generally in the hands and feet; rigidity; stooped posture; bradykinesia
>(slow movement) and loss of balance. Other symptoms may include a
>mask-like facial expression, shuffling gait, decrease in arm swing,
>difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and difficulty with hand
>movements.
>
>Extending ``On-Time'' Key in Today's Parkinson's Therapy
>
>Extending ``on-time'' -- periods of relatively good functioning -- is
>the critical goal of today's Parkinson's therapy as symptoms advance.
>``Off-time,'' marked by periods of relatively poor functioning, can have
>dramatic consequences for patients, especially if they mean loss of
>mobility or speech.
>
>``New medications that provide more functional time may enable patients
>to continue doing what they want and need to do for themselves and with
>loved ones,'' says Dr. Shulman.
>
>Current Drug Treatments: How They Work
>
>Parkinson's disease may be one of the most baffling and complex of the
>neurological disorders. Although researchers continue to explore the
>causes of the disease, a cure has yet to be found. Currently, there are
>medications available that can extend the functional time of Parkinson's
>patients.
>
>Since its introduction in 1968, levodopa has been the gold standard in
>Parkinson's therapy. Parkinson's symptoms correlate with a decrease in
>dopamine in the substantia nigra portion of the brain. Levodopa, the
>chemical precursor to dopamine, works because it is effectively
>converted to dopamine in the brain. Today, levodopa is almost always
>given in combination with carbidopa, which makes levodopa more
>effective. Approximately 80 percent of all Parkinson's patients now take
>levodopa/carbidopa therapy.
>
>However, over time, as Parkinson's disease progresses, higher or more
>frequent doses of levodopa are needed to relieve symptoms, which can
>lead to an increase in side effects, such as nausea, vomiting,
>involuntary movements and hallucinations in some patients. The newest
>class of therapy to emerge to relieve Parkinson's symptoms,
>C.O.M.T.- inhibitors, work in conjunction with levodopa/carbidopa to
>enhance and extend the benefits of levodopa.
>
>C.O.M.T.-Inhibitors
>
>TASMAR®, the first C.O.M.T.-inhibitor introduced last year, provides
>smoother and more sustained levels of levodopa to the brain. Although
>the precise mechanism of action is unknown, this is believed to
>translate into more consistent and greater effects on the symptoms of
>Parkinson's disease. In clinical trials, patients with fluctuating
>symptoms who were given 100 mg. of TASMAR three times a day gained a
>daily average of approximately 1.7-2 hours of ``on-time,'' periods of
>relatively good functioning. In addition, patients experienced
>significant improvements as measured in clinical investigators' global
>assessments.
>
>``Advanced patients with Parkinson's disease fluctuate between periods
>when they are nearly immobile and periods when they are able to function
>well,'' says Dr. Shulman. ``Medications such as Tasmar help to extend
>their functional time, which can mean the difference between
>independence and dependency on a caregiver.''
>
>TASMAR ordinarily should be used as adjunctive therapy in patients on
>levodopa/carbidopa who are experiencing symptom fluctuations and who are
>not responding satisfactorily to or are not appropriate candidates for
>other adjunctive therapies, because of the risk of potentially fatal
>acute fulminant liver failure. TASMAR should not be initiated in
>patients with clinical evidence of liver disease or elevated liver
>enzymes and should be discontinued if substantial clinical benefit is
>not seen within three weeks. Patients with severe dyskinesia or dystonia
>should be treated with caution.
>
>Patients should have baseline liver monitoring with follow-up monitoring
>every two weeks for the first year, every four weeks for the next six
>months and every eight weeks thereafter. Liver monitoring may not
>prevent liver failure; however, early detection and immediate drug
>withdrawal are believed to enhance the likelihood of recovery.
>Patients should be advised to self- monitor for signs of liver disease.
>TASMAR should be discontinued in patients whose liver enzyme levels
>exceed the upper limit of normal or who exhibit signs and symptoms
>suggesting onset of hepatic (liver) failure.
>
>In clinical trials, adverse events reported when TASMAR was administered
>in combination with levodopa/carbidopa were dyskinesia, nausea, sleep
>disorders, dystonia, anorexia, diarrhea, somnolence, excessive
>dreaming, muscle cramps, orthostatic complaints, dizziness, headache,
>and hallucination and confusion. Diarrhea was the adverse event that
>most commonly led to discontinuation of therapy.
>
>TASMAR may potentiate the dopaminergic side effects of levodopa and may
>require decreasing the dose of levodopa. However, some of these side
>effects may persist despite levodopa dose adjustment. TASMAR should
>not be used by patients taking nonselective MAO-A inhibitors, but may be
>used by patients on MAO-B inhibitors.
>
>Other important prescribing information is printed on the product
>labeling. For more detail, see prescribing materials.
>
>There is still a long way to go to finding a cure for this devastating
>illness. However, until a cure is found, experts believe that early
>diagnosis, improved medications and rehabilitation strategies will help
>Parkinson's patients live a full and more enjoyable and productive life.
>
>Copyright © 1999 PRNewswire.
>--
this 'news' item from the npf had a slight 'aroma' to it, to me anyway
so, i dug into prnewswire:
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---------------------------
i wonder what the makers of tasmar generic name tolcapone had to do with it?
i wonder why entacapone was not mentioned?
i wonder whether tasmar makers are suffering from the tasmar ban?
i wonder why npf appear to be 'pushing' tasmar?
i have to question npf's motives here
what is their mission statement?
what does their financial statement reflect in re tasmar's makers?
do the other 'facts' in this 'news' story have a 'spin' on them too?
janet
just another person with parkinson's disease
janet paterson - 52 now /41 dx /37 onset - [log in to unmask]
613/256/8340 - po box 171/almonte/ontario/k0a 1a0/canada
Scan some of My Past Posts at:
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/index.htm
Mine the PD List Archives at:
http://james.parkinsons.org.uk/
Cull Nine Million Pub-Med Medical Studies at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
Comb the 'People With Parkinson's' Web-Ring at:
http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=parkie;list
