OTC drugs may cut Parkinson's disease risk

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests over-the-counter medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, may reduce a person's risk of Parkinson's disease.

The study involved 579 men and women, half of whom had Parkinson's. The participants were asked if they had taken aspirin and if they had taken non-aspirin NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, once a week or more at any point in their life for at least a month.

The study found regular users of non-aspirin NSAIDs reduced their risk of Parkinson's disease by as much as 60 percent compared with non-regular users and non-users. Women who were regular users of aspirin reduced their risk of Parkinson's disease by 40 percent.

"Our findings suggest NSAIDs are protective against Parkinson's disease, with a particularly strong protective effect among regular users of non-aspirin NSAIDs, especially those who reported two or more years of use," said study author Angelika Wahner of the UCLA School of Public Health. "Interestingly, aspirin only benefited women. It may be that men are taking lower doses of aspirin for heart problems, while women may be using higher doses for arthritis or headaches."

The study is reported in the journal Neurology.