The landscape of what we know about Parkinson’s changes rapidly. Our job and our honor at PMD Alliance is to share the relevant news with you.
First, the abstract. For patients with constant constipation, green kiwi has been associated with fewer side effects than psyllium or prunes. They might even taste better! Diet overall has been increasingly recognized for its potential influence on a person’s risk of several diseases, including PD. The Mediterranean Diet specifically could protect against the neurodegeneration that marks disorders like PD. Plus, researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson investigate the use of Ketamine in the treatment of PD.
Read on for more information.
Two Types of Parkinson’s, According to a New Study
“Until now, many people have viewed the disease as relatively homogeneous and defined it based on the classical movement disorders. But at the same time, we’ve been puzzled about why there was such a big difference between patient symptoms. With this new knowledge, the different symptoms make more sense and this is also the perspective in which future research should be viewed,” says Borghammer.
The researchers refer to the two types of Parkinson’s disease as body-first and brain-first. They suggest that studying the composition of bacteria in our intestines (our ‘microflora’) could help us better understand the roots of the ‘body-first’ cases. Studying the ‘brain-first’ one would be “a bigger challenge”, they admit, as it starts off “relatively symptom-free”, making it hard to impossible to identify in its early stages.
To read more, go to ZME Science
Psyllium vs. Prunes vs. Kiwi: Kiwi Gets the Nod
For patients with chronic constipation, green kiwifruit (a.k.a. Chinese gooseberry) was associated with fewer adverse effects and greater patient satisfaction than psyllium or prunes, although all three were effective, according to a randomized trial.
In a presentation at the American College of Gastroenterology virtual meeting, Samuel W. Chey, MPH, of the University of Michigan HealthSystem in Ann Arbor, said that while psyllium and prunes are proven treatments for chronic constipation, Asian studies, including one from China, have suggested that fresh kiwi may also mitigate symptoms, especially in an era when people with functional bowel problems are increasingly seeking natural solutions.
To read more, go to MedPage Today
Holding to Mediterranean Diet Lowers Parkinson’s Risk for Women, Study Finds
Diet is increasingly recognized for its potential influence on a person’s risk of several diseases. With Parkinson’s, for instance, studies have suggested that dairy products could be a risk factor for its development.
The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats like olive oil, and low in meat and dairy foods, has been proposed to protect against the neurodegeneration that marks disorders like Parkinson’s, as well as other types of disease, including cancer.
To read more, go to ParkinsonsNewsToday
Pharma Company Licenses University of Arizona Method for Treating Parkinson’s Disease with Ketamine | University of Arizona News
In pre-clinical studies, researchers found that low-dose Ketamine infusions can improve pain, depression and levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s patients.
Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson have developed a method of using Ketamine in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The university has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Pharmather Inc., a subsidiary of Newscope Capital Corporation, for the development and commercialization of the method.
Ketamine is a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, and prior clinical reports suggest that low-dose Ketamine infusions are well-tolerated and can help treat pain and depression, which are common in Parkinson’s disease patients.
To read more, News.Arizona.Edu
