Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Article: Trial Into Antioxidant for Parkinson's Disease Yields Disappointing Results

Trial Into Antioxidant for Parkinson's Disease Yields Disappointing Results
Health News

Trial Into Antioxidant for Parkinson's Disease Yields Disappointing Results

[ad_1]
By Cara MurezHealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Sept. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Researchers hoped to show that the natural antioxidant urate could delay Parkinson's disease progression, but a study completed at Massachusetts General Hospital dashed those expectations.

Nearly 300 people were enrolled in the trial, nearly all of whom had been diagnosed with Parkinson's early disease. This affects the motor system and brain. There are no treatments for Parkinson's disease, which causes symptoms like tremors, rigid limbs and balance difficulties.

The research team found no significant difference in the rate of disease progression for those given the metabolite inosine for two years compared to the placebo group.

Inosine raises levels of urate in the brain and blood. Preclinical studies have shown it to be neuroprotective.

The inosine did not prove beneficial, and those who received it also had an increased rate of kidney stones, according to the study.

"The convergence of epidemiological, biological and clinical data from past research made a compelling argument that elevating urate, the main antioxidant circulating in the blood, could protect against the oxidative damage thought to play a role in Parkinson's disease," said senior author Dr. Michael Schwarzschild, a neurologist at Mass General and a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

In a hospital press release, he said: "Though our study didn't rule out the protective effects of urate on Parkinson's disease, it showed that increasing urine did not slow down disease progression based clinical assessments and serial bran scanning."

Schwarzschild acknowledged that although the study didn't answer any questions about disease progression it was useful in other aspects.

Schwarzschild said that "the findings were very useful in providing a reality-check that now allows for the field to pursue other therapeutic approaches." We also gained valuable information about Parkinson's clinical trials science and how to carry out future research that increases their chances of success.

The findings were published Sept. 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More information

The Parkinson's Foundation has more on Parkinson's disease.

SOURCE : Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard University press release September 14, 2021


[ad_2]

Read more

Millions Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage Started During the Pandemic
covid

Millions Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage Started During the Pandemic

[ad_1] Millions Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage Started During the Pandemic WebMD News from HealthDay By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter ...

Read more
Millions Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage Started During the Pandemic
covid

Millions Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage Started During the Pandemic

[ad_1] FRIDAY, Sept. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, a new crisis in insurance coverage in the United States may begin. Fifteen mill...

Read more