Gastrointestinal surgical procedures affect levodopa pharmacokinetics in Parkinson's disease

Several factors, including delayed gastric emptying, meal consumption, gastric acid secretion, and protein-rich diets, affect the absorption of levodopa, the gold-standard treatment modality for Parkinson's disease (PD) [1]. We have previously reported that cascade stomach, a stomach deformity, might affect levodopa pharmacokinetics [2]. In addition, levodopa malabsorption after pancreaticoduodenectomy in a patient with PD has been reported [3]. However, little is known about the association between gastrointestinal structures and levodopa pharmacokinetics, and only a few studies have clinically assessed levodopa pharmacokinetics after gastrointestinal surgery in patients with PD.
Source: Parkinsonism and Related Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research