The pain-killer ibuprofen may help protect users against developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers said last night.
Researchers say the drug may have unique properties – not shared by other pain-killers – enabling it to protect the brain.
The major study of US patients found that regular users of ibuprofen enjoyed a 38 per cent reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s.
The findings come from a study involving nearly 100,000 female nurses and more than 37,000 male health professionals. Some 291 developed Parkinson’s in a six year period.
The findings are reported in the journal Neurology.
Researcher Dr Xiang Gao, of Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA, said ibuprofen worked on a specific chemical receptor in the brain called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y.
Fellow researcher Professor Alberto Ascherio said: "There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, so the possibility that ibuprofen, an existing and relatively non-toxic drug, could help protect against the disease is captivating."
Writing in the journal Dr James Bower, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, says the findings do not mean people should take the drug to prevent Parkinson’s – because regular use can pose major risks.
He said: "The idea that ibuprofen may have these neuroprotective effects unique from other NSAIDS is cause for more research.
"Additionally, the use of ibuprofen may not be directly reducing the risk of Parkinson’s. It may be related to some other unrecognised factor that is actually reducing the risk."
Use of Ibuprofen and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease. Xiang Gao, Honglei Chen, Michael A. Schwarzschild, and Alberto Ascherio. Neurology, March 2 2011.
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