• Profile
Close

Lower risk of Parkinson's disease associated with prostate medication

ANI Feb 05, 2021

The recent findings of a large observational study suggest that lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease is associated with taking a particular type of medication, that is used for the treatment of enlarged prostate.


This study led by researchers from the University of Iowa, with colleagues in Denmark and China, has been published in the journal, JAMA Neurology. It provides compelling evidence that terazosin, and similar medications, might have the potential to prevent or delay the development of Parkinson's disease. The new study used data on almost 300,000 older men from two large, independent patient datasets--the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database in the United States and national health registries in Denmark--to investigate whether taking terazosin is associated with the development of Parkinson's disease.

The findings build on previous preclinical research by the team, which showed that terazosin enhances cellular energy levels and can prevent or slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in animal models. In this earlier study, the team also used the Truven database to show that men with Parkinson's disease who were also taking terazosin and related drugs had reduced signs, symptoms, and complications of Parkinson's disease. Importantly, the researchers had a good control group for this earlier database study. Tamsulosin is another drug commonly used to treat enlarged prostate, but unlike terazosin, tamsulosin has no effect on cellular energy production, which the team's lab studies suggest is important in terazosin's protective effect.

The new study extends these findings to investigate whether terazosin and related drugs that can also enhance cellular energy production are associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Using the U.S. and Danish databases, the team identified 150,000 men newly started on terazosin or similar medications and matched them, based on age and clinical history to 150,000 men newly started on tamsulosin. "We then tracked the health data on these men to determine how many in each group developed Parkinson's disease," explains Jacob Simmering, PhD, UI assistant professor of internal medicine and corresponding author of the study. "Men taking terazosin were 12 to 37% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease during follow-up than men taking tamsulosin."

Additionally, the study found that longer duration of use of the energy-enhancing prostate drugs was associated with increased protective effects. "Despite the relative differences in population and health care system structure, we found a similar protective effect in both countries," Simmering adds. "The replication of the finding in an international cohort is powerful evidence suggesting a causal effect. If these results are confirmed through further investigation, especially a randomized clinical trial, terazosin may provide neuroprotection and potentially prevent--and not just manage--Parkinson's disease."

Only Doctors with an M3 India account can read this article. Sign up for free or login with your existing account.
4 reasons why Doctors love M3 India
  • Exclusive Write-ups & Webinars by KOLs

  • Nonloggedininfinity icon
    Daily Quiz by specialty
  • Nonloggedinlock icon
    Paid Market Research Surveys
  • Case discussions, News & Journals' summaries
Sign-up / Log In
x
M3 app logo
Choose easy access to M3 India from your mobile!


M3 instruc arrow
Add M3 India to your Home screen
Tap  Chrome menu  and select "Add to Home screen" to pin the M3 India App to your Home screen
Okay