PARKINSON'S DRUGS LEAD TO COMPULSIVE GAMBLING & SHOPPING, NOT THE DISEASE ITSELF

Parkinson's disease, the neurodegenerative condition that can cause shakes and tremors, has been linked with alterations in behaviour in patients ranging from compulsive shopping and gambling to being obsessed with taking technical equipment apart, sorting objects or for taking long aimless walks.

Researchers have found that these side effects are caused by the drugs used to treat Parkinson's rather than the disease itself. In a small study, a group of newly diagnosed Parkinson sufferers who were not taking any medication, were asked about their compulsive behaviour and the results compared to a similar group of people who were healthy. It was found that one in five of both groups showed compulsive behaviour. "We've known for some time that these behaviours are more common in people taking certain Parkinson's medications, but we haven't known if the disease itself leads to an increased risk of these behaviours," said study author Dr Daniel Weintraub. "These results provide further evidence that impulse control disorders that occur in people with Parkinson's disease are related to the exposure to the dopamine-related drugs, not just the disease itself," he said. "More long-term studies are needed to determine if the 20 per cent of people who have some symptoms of these disorders are more likely to develop impulse control disorders once they start treatment for Parkinson's."

The symptoms can be controlled by altering doses of medication but drugs should not be changed or stopped without help from medical professionals. Experts have said the behaviours are particularly associated with drugs known as dopamine agonists, but can also affect people who take other Parkinson's drugs, in particular levodopa.

Parkinson's symptoms are caused by a decrease in the levels of the chemical in the brain, dopamine, due to the death of the nerve cells in the brain that make it. Dopamine agonists act in a similar way to natural dopamine in the brain and are particularly effective against the movement symptoms of Parkinson's.

Article by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor of The Telegragh, UK.

Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perzonal-Trainer/492595214099791?ref=hl

COMMON BLOOD PRESSURE DRUGS MAY LOWER RISKS OF DEMENTIA

It was found that people who had taken blood pressure drugs, particularly a class known as beta blockers, showed fewer changes in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Findings of a new study were presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in San Diego. Researchers examined the brains of 774 men after they had died, 610 of whom had been treated for high blood pressure. Aroound one in seven of those had been given only beta blockers, 18% had received beta blockers and another drug and the others had been given different drugs. It was found that the men who had received beta blockers as their only blood pressure medication had fewer abnormalities in their brains compared to those who had not been treated for their hypertension, or who  had received other blood pressure medications. Those who had been given beta-blockers in combination with other drugs also had fewer brain leisons and less shrinkage but not to the same extent at those who had used them alone.        

In 2011, more than 30m prescriptions were dispensed for beta blockers in England, showing that millions of patients have used the drugs. Lead researcher Dr. Lon White, of the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute in Honolulu, said: "With the number of people with Alzheimer's disease expected to grow significantly as our population ages; it is increasingly important to identify factors that could delay or prevent the disease; these results are exciting, especially since beta blockers are a common treatment for high blood pressure."     

Earlier research has shown that high blood pressure in middle age is a strong risk factor for dementia. The number of people with dementia is expected to explode to 1.7m by 2050. Dr. Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Hypertension is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other causes of dementia, and keeping high blood pressure in check could be important for preventing these diseases; this study suggests a link between the use of beta blockers and fewer signs of dementia, but as the results of this study have yet to be published in full, it is not clear what caused this link; it is important to note that this study only looked at Japanese-American men, and these results may not be applicable to the wider population; while we cant conclude from this study that beta blockers can prevent dementia, a better understanding of the links between high blood pressure and dementia could be crucial for developing new treatments or approaches to prevention; with 820,000 people affected by dementia in the UK, and that number increasing, we urgently need to find ways to prevent the disease that causes it - that requires a massive investment in research."

 Visit our facebook page and LIKE us: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perzonal-Trainer/492595214099791?ref=hl