Ibuprofen may protect against Parkinson's disease--study

Researchers at the Harvard University claim that taking ibuprofen just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 38 percent.

Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, with Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a press release: "Our results show that ibuprofen may protect the brain in ways that other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and analgesics, such as aspirin or acetaminophen, cannot.”

“Ibuprofen could be a potential neuroprotective agent against Parkinson’s disease,” the Bloomberg quoted Gao as saying.

About Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. The disorder may affect one or both sides of the body.

PD typically becomes apparent around the age of 60 years, and is unusual before the age of 40 years.

Study details and findings
For the present study, the researchers analyzed data taken from 98,892 female nurses and 37,305 male health professionals who had enrolled in a health study.

Participants were asked to report their use of ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs. After six years, researchers found that 291 had developed Parkinson's

The study authors also took into account variables like age, smoking, diet, and caffiene consumption.

It was noted that taking ibuprofen two or three times a week reduced the chances of falling prey to the curable condition by 38 percent.

Ibuprofen, sold as brand-names like Advil and Motrin in the U.S., is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). But the study found no connection between Parkinson's risk and other NSAIDS, like aspirin or naproxen (Aleve), or with acetaminophen (Tylenol), the Reuters reports.

However, experts caution that findings do not show that the drug can prevent Parkinson's.

Lead researcher Professor Alberto Ascherio, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, so the possibility that ibuprofen, an existing and relatively non-toxic drug, could help protect against the disease is captivating."

The findings are overwhelming, but, researchers say, it is too early to comment whether benefits of taking the drug outweigh the risk of side-effects such as gastro-intestinal bleeding, nausea, dyspepsia, and hypertension.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

A plausible explanation
Though the exact mechanism behind the protective effect of ibuprofen on brain health is not known, experts believe that the drug may reduce inflammation in the brain and protect brain cells from death caused by the disease.

Dr Kieran Breen, director of Research and Development at Parkinson's UK, said it was difficult to know exactly how it might affect whether somebody will get Parkinson's. But based on the findings of this latest study, he said there would seem to be an interesting link.

He said: "We know that inflammatory changes in the brain may be involved in the death of nerve cells which cause Parkinson's, particularly in the early stages of the condition.

"We are currently funding research into this area ourselves at the University of Oxford."