Reduced PD risk with ibuprofen

A large cohort study has found that Parkinson's disease (PD) risk was lower among ibuprofen users than non-users. No association was found between the use of aspirin, paracetamol, or other NSAIDs and PD risk.The results are from an analysis of data of 146,948 individuals participating in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, which was initiated in 1992 to investigate risk factors for cancer. In 1992, participants answered a detailed questionnaire that included questions on the use of aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, or other NSAIDs. Follow-up surveys were conducted in 1997, 1999, and 2001, and, the 2001 survey included a question on lifetime occurrence of PD.Ibuprofen users had a lower PD risk than non-users (RR, 0.65), and subgroups stratified by sex, age, or smoking status had similar RR to the overall group. Non-aspirin NSAID users (ibuprofen or other non-aspirin NSAIDs) had a RR of 0.78 compared to those who did not use the drugs. However, when analysed individually, aspirin, other NSAIDs, or paracetamol was not associated with reduced PD risk. The authors say these results concur with their previous findings from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) and the Nurses Health Study (NHS), which showed that users of non-aspirin NSAIDs, but not aspirin, had a lower PD risk compared to non-users. They add, "Importantly, this study further suggests that only certain nonaspirin NSAIDs such as ibuprofen reduce the risk for PD."While the mechanism underlying the reduced risk in ibuprofen users is uncertain, the authors describe in vitro findings of a differential neuroprotective effect with ibuprofen, compared to naproxen, aspirin and paracetamol.There was a trend to a lower PD risk in those who used more ibuprofen tablets. However, the authors note that there is not enough data to determine an optimal dosage for reduced PD risk. They add, "?it remains uncertain whether this effect is mediated by COX inhibitions or through other mechanisms specific to ibuprofen and possibly some other selected NSAIDs."Reference...