High Blood Pressure Medications Decrease Risk of Parkinson's Disease

According to a study, published in the most recent issue of the leading American medical journal Nephrology, high blood pressure medications may help people reduce the risk of getting the debilitating Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system that usually impacts the patient's ability to move and speak. In addition to the main symptoms of tremor and movement inability other typical symptoms include mood and behavior changes. Individual patients' symptoms may different as well as the progression of the disease.

The study was led by Christoph R. Meier, from the University Hospital Basel

(Switzerland). More than 7000 men and women participated in this new study. Fifty per cent of the group had Parkinson's disease the other 50% half did not have Parkinson's disease. In each of these groups around half used high blood pressure medications. Among the medicines used there were people using ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers.

A statistical analysis of the data showed that people who used high blood pressure medications had a 23 % less risk of developing the Parkinson's disease when compared to the group who did not used any antihypertensive drugs.

The statistical analysis also revealed that the only antihypertensive drugs that seem to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease were those known as calcium channel blockers since other antihypertensive drugs such as ACE inhibitors or AT II antagonists and beta blockers did not reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's.

Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Only symptoms are "treated". Medications as well as surgery can give some relief for Parkinson disease sufferers.

Since PD is a chronic disease it requires a complete set of procedures for proper management of the symptoms and the disease such as patient and family training, support services, physiotherapy, and proper nutrition.