Headache Medicine Dramatically Reduces Risk of Parkinson's D

Scientists say a common headache medicine dramatically reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a physically-disabling brain disorder¹ that mostly strikes elderly adults.

 

In a six-year study of just over 136,000 nurses and health professionals, researchers at Harvard University School of Public Health in Massachusetts found that people who take ibuprofen regularly for headache or other pain reduced their risk of developing Parkinson's disease by nearly 40 percent.

Taking one or two pills of ibuprofen two or more times per week was considered regular use. Other non-prescription pain relievers, including aspirin² and acetaminophen, did not show a similar protective benefit.

Researcher Alberto Ascheiro says ibuprofen appears to affect a neural³ pathway that has been implicated⁴ in the development of Parkinson's. The disease causes difficulties in movement and uncontrollable muscle tremors⁵.

At this point, Ascheiro says, experts do NOT recommend that people start taking ibuprofen to prevent Parkinson's, which typically strikes people 65 years of age and older.

"Parkinson's is a relatively⁶ rare disease, so we are not expecting millions of people to take ibuprofen to prevent Parkinson's," said Ascheiro.

On the downside, ibuprofen can cause stomach, kidney, liver and urological problems if not used carefully.

Ascheiro says researchers will now be studying whether the medication benefits those who have been diagnosed with the disease, a population that numbers an estimated six million people worldwide.

"What we will really need to prove is that if they take ibuprofen they will do better in the long term," added Ascheiro. "So what we need to do is a large trial, clinical trial, to test whether ibuprofen could be helpful in people with Parkinson's."

A study describing a possible link between ibuprofen use and a reduced risk of Parkinson's is published in the journal Neurology.

1 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

2 aspirin   

n.阿司匹林

参考例句：

• The aspirin seems to quiet the headache.阿司匹林似乎使头痛减轻了。
• She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin.她进了一家药店，买了些阿司匹林。

3 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

4 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。