Ibuprofen could delay or prevent Parkinson's disease
Taking ibuprofen could reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 35%, says the International Ibuprofen Foundation. The figures are based on the results of a US-based observational study involving nearly 147,000 people.
Taking ibuprofen could reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 35%, says the International Ibuprofen Foundation. The figures are based on the results of a US-based observational study involving nearly 147,000 people.
Increasing consumption of ibuprofen was also thought to lower risk of Parkinson's disease, ranging from a 27% risk reduction in people who took up to 2 tablets per week to a 38% risk reduction with one or more tablets per day.
There was no evidence that aspirin, paracetamol or other NSAIDs were associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease.
This observational study does not prove a causal link between use of ibuprofen and protection against Parkinson's disease. NSAIDs may exert several protective effects in the brain, including blocking potentially damaging effects of the enzyme COX-2, oxidising metabolic products or neurotransmitters. But why this effect should be unique to ibuprofen is unknown.
The results of the study were written up in a paper by Chen H et al, entitled 'Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and the risk for Parkinson's disease', published in the Archives of Neurology.