Largest-ever trial in Parkinson's disease shows that for long-term treatment levodopa is better than newer drugs

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/tl-tll060914.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 10-Jun-2014
Contact: Richard Gray
The Lancet: Largest-ever trial in Parkinson's disease shows that for long-term treatment levodopa is better than newer drugs

For long-term treatment of newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD), the old drug levodopa provides better mobility and a higher quality of life than the two main alternatives, dopamine agonists (DA) and monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors (MAOBI), according to the largest-ever trial of PD treatment (PD MED), published in The Lancet.

PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder (after Alzheimer's) in the UK, with 8000 new cases each year and over 100 000 people living with the disease. The most widely used treatment is the drug levodopa, although after prolonged use patients can develop involuntary muscle spasms (dyskinesias) and motor fluctuations (movement problems). There is less risk of developing these complications with DAs or with MAOBIs than with levodopa, but other side effects including nausea, hallucinations, oedema, and sleep disturbance are increased with these newer drugs.

-----