MIAMI BEACH, Fla., April 14 (UPI) -- A Boston researcher says over-the-counter pain relievers may help prevent or delay the onset of Parkinson's disease.
Honglei Chen of the Harvard School of Public Health, who will explain his findings at a Miami Beach neurology conference, said he sought to identify whether the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen is associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's.
Chen said that ibuprofen users had a 35 percent lower risk of Parkinson's, and the results were similar in both men and women.
No significant associations were found between the use of aspirin, other NSAIDs or acetaminophen and the risk of Parkinson's.
Participants were tracked for an average of 8.5 years. The risk seemed to decrease depending on the weekly dosage. For people who took a daily ibuprofen tablet, the risk was 38 percent lower, compared to people who did not regularly take ibuprofen.
