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Antioxidants, supplements, and Parkinson's disease
Cynthia A Weber1, Michael E Ernst
1Family Medicine, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1097, USA.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|April 20, 2006
Summary
Antioxidants and supplements show limited benefit for Parkinson's disease (PD) prevention or treatment. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may offer minor symptom improvement, warranting further investigation for its role in PD therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis involves free radical generation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Antioxidants and supplements are explored for their potential to mitigate these pathological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on antioxidants and supplements for Parkinson's disease prevention and treatment.
- To evaluate the efficacy of tocopherol, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and glutathione in PD management.
Main Methods:
- A literature search of MEDLINE (1996-2005) was conducted using keywords: Parkinson's disease, CoQ10, antioxidants, supplements, and glutathione.
- Pertinent references from identified articles were also reviewed.
- Studies included clinical trials and observational studies of varying sizes and durations.
Main Results:
- Tocopherol supplementation did not appear to alter the course of PD.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and glutathione showed small, statistically significant improvements in PD symptoms in some studies.
- Most studies were small (fewer than 30 patients) and short-term (≤3 months), with exceptions for some tocopherol and CoQ10 trials.
Conclusions:
- Currently, antioxidants and supplements have a limited role in preventing or treating Parkinson's disease.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) demonstrates potential for minor treatment benefits in PD.
- Further research is needed to establish the significant role of CoQ10 as a primary or adjunctive therapy for PD.