In case anyone knows a person with early stage Parkinsons, or has it.
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Diet Supplement May Slow Parkinson's
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2002
There is new hope for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the form of a common dietary supplement. The Early Show medical contributor Dr. Emily Senay reports on the latest research.
A study out Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the archives of neurology looks at the use of the dietary supplement Coenzyme Q10 or Co-Q10 to treat early-stage Parkinson's disease, the progressive, degenerative brain disease. Its symptoms include tremors, slowness of movement and muscle stiffness to the point of paralysis. The study followed a small group of patients who took high doses of Co-Q10 daily for 16 months.
Study Results
The study involved just 80 people. Half ate maple-nut flavored wafers containing various CoQ10 doses, half took a placebo for up to 16 months.
By the study's end, the 23 patients on the highest daily doses had 44 percent less decline in mental function, movement and ability to perform daily living tasks than the placebo group.
Those who took fewer doses didn't show as much benefit, but did better than those who only took a placebo.
How do these results compare to the existing treatments for Parkinson's?
This new study is exciting news because, while there are drugs and brain implants that can reduce symptoms of Parkinson's disease, no treatment has previously been able slow down the progressive deterioration. Many experts are enthusiastic about doing another larger trial to see whether there's enough evidence to say that Co-Q10 truly has this benefit.
Recommendations
The research is still in its early stages, and the study does not provide enough evidence to start recommending that Parkinson's patients take Co-Q10. All of the patients in the trial had early stage Parkinson's and there's no data to suggest it works for people who have later stage disease. Researchers say the doses in the study were far greater than the amounts available in pill form. Coenzyme q10 brands sold in stores may differ and might not contain enough of the compound to make a difference.
Side effects from taking large doses of coenzyme Q10
There have been only minor side effects noticed so far, but the long-term effects are unknown.
Co-Q10 is a naturally occurring compound and antioxidant found in the body's cells. Previous research has shown that people with Parkinson's have low levels of co-q10, and the theory is that the function of brain cells is impaired somehow by the lack of the compound.
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