Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and the Risk of Parkinson Disease

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Abstract
PARKINSON DISEASE (PD) is characterized by the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the resulting progressive loss of normal motor function. The exact cause of this cell death is not clear; however, the process may involve inflammatory reactions, in addition to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neural excitotoxicity, and insufficient neurotrophic factors.1 Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appear to be protective in animal models of PD,2-5 and regular use of NSAIDs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease in humans.6-9 Because the potential association between NSAID use and the risk of PD has not been evaluated in population studies, we used the data from 2 large cohorts of US men and women (Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Nurses' Health Study) to examine prospectively whether use of nonaspirin NSAIDs or aspirin was associated with a lower risk of PD.