Plenty of Potential for Preventing Parkinson’s

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Preventing Parkinson’s Disease with Medication

Following lifestyle, another important means of avoiding the disease relates to the preventative use of medication. While many people take an aspirin a day based on doctor’s advice to reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke, it is not the only common medication that offers preventative benefits.

For Parkinson’s, Ibuprofen is also very important. Research from Harvard School of Public Health found that those who used the drug regularly had a 40% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s than those who did not take the drug. The benefits were greater in those who were also taking higher doses. Of course, before you go out and start self-medicating, it always important to talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks.

Lowering Parkinson’s Risk through Diet

Finally, in terms of prevention options for Parkinson’s we come to diet. Researchers from Johns Hopkins found that the Indian spice curcumin was exceptional at preventing the death of brain cells, reducing cell death by 60%. They suspect that this is because it is a good antioxidant and also good at reducing inflammation, both problems associated with Parkinson’s. It is hard to argue against against a good curry dish in any case…

Another aspect of diet that is importance for prevention is Vitamin D. Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found that vitamin D deficiency is more than 50% higher amongst those who develop Parkinson’s disease than within the general population. Though no studies have yet determined whether low Vitamin D levels lead to Parkinson’s or instead that Parkinson’s leads to low Vitamin D levels, ensuring healthy Vitamin D levels is important for good health.

One last aspect of diet that affects Parkinson’s risk is associated with coffee, the most common antioxidant of the modern diet. In a study from the University of Porto, research scientists found that regular coffee consumption could reduce the risks of developing the disease by 24% in men and 14% in women for every 2 to 3 cups of coffee. Clearly for those who enjoy coffee, these findings are good news. For those that do not, it was the caffeine that was responsible for the preventative benefits so a good tea could also do the trick.

Conclusions

Parkinson’s Disease is a condition that can significantly reduce the quality of life in our later years. Though new and existing medications offer hope for the treatment of Parkinson’s, prevention is ultimately our best defensive weapon. Taking advantage of the knowledge gained from medical research offers the possibility that we may never be one of those who developed the disease.

Do you know have or know someone with Parkinson’s? Share your experiences in the forums.

Related Links

http://app1.unmc.edu/publicaffairs/newsarchive/view_art.cfm?article_id=2050

http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/75/4/637.abstract

http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/nov/kanthasamy

http://www.agehealthy.org/pdf/GBPSRSEHN_HealthyAging1017.pdf

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/06/14/genes.and.pesticide.exposure.interact.increase.mens.risk.parkinsons.disease

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/w-afb060409.php

http://www.thepi.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=Study%20Summary&category=Clinical%20Research

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2009/02/parkinsons-manganese.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225161038.htm

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/an-ibuprofen-a-day-could-keep-parkinsons-disease-away-84631302.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/daily-aspirin-therapy/HB00073

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2008/11_14_08.html

http://shared.web.emory.edu/emory/news/releases/2008/10/lack-of-vitamin-d-linked-to-parkinsons.html

http://iospress.metapress.com/content/r817357v22l37j8w/

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