Long-term management of Parkinson's disease using levodopa combinations.

Long-term management of Parkinson's disease using levodopa combinations. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2018 Jun 18;:1-9 Authors: Müller T, Möhr JD Abstract INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease. Its symptoms and course are heterogeneous. After several years of investigative drug studies, levodopa remains the most efficacious drug despite its long-term limitations. Consequently, research into new drug delivery modes is ongoing. Areas covered: This review summarizes past and current advances of levodopa therapy with a focus on long-term patient management. Current research aims to increase drug bioavailability and to deliver it to the brain continuously. Reduced fluctuations improve drug efficacy and levodopa-associated motor complications. Less considered metabolic long-term consequences of levodopa are impaired methylation capacity and antioxidant defense. Both may contribute to disease progression and weaken physiological available human neuronal repair mechanisms. Expert opinion: New developed formulations will improve pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior. The authors suggest the regular supplementation with methyl group-donating and free radical scavenging substrates to weaken the metabolic consequences of chronic and high levodopa dosing. Many patients perform this nutrient supplementation in their diet already. PMID: 29913079 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Pharmacother Source Type: research