About one million Americans have Parkinson’s disease. Treatments don’t halt progression of the disease and eventually, responsiveness to medications may decline.  Researchers are trying to find out if a high dose of CoQ10 supplement may prevent or halt progression of Parkinson symptoms.

Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system. It’s characterized by four main symptoms: tremor (shaking in the hands, arms, face, jaw and legs), rigidity (stiffness), bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and postural instability (problems with balance and coordination). Some other signs associated with Parkinson’s disease include small handwriting, shuffled walk, stiff facial expressions, muffled speech and depression.

Parkinson’s occurs when nerve cells in a part of the brain, called the substantia nigra, degenerate and die. Normally, these cells produce dopamine, a brain chemical associated with smooth coordinated movement and muscle control. Symptoms of Parkinson’s occur when about 80 percent of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, about one million Americans have Parkinson’s disease and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. The condition most commonly occurs after 65, but a small number of cases are diagnosed before 50.

Looking for a Better Treatment
The main treatment for Parkinson’s disease is levodopa, a medication that is converted to dopamine in the brain. Initially, many patients respond to the drug. But the treatment doesn’t halt progression of the disease and eventually, responsiveness declines. Levodopa also causes side effects for some people.

Researchers are looking for better treatments for Parkinson’s and hope to ultimately find a therapy that prevents or halts progression of symptoms. One treatment under study is Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ10), a type of enzyme found in the mitochondria of cells. Mitochondria are the power plants of cells. They produce energy to fuel the cells and help the tissues and organs survive and function. Previous studies have shown that supplementation with high doses of CoQ10 slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

The Phase III study, called “Effects of Coenzyme Q10 in Parkinson Disease (QE3),” is looking to enroll about 600 patients with early stage Parkinson’s. To avoid the influence of other medications on outcomes, participants must not be taking any drugs for their symptoms. Those enrolled will be assigned to one of three interventions. One group will take 1200 mg of CoQ10 plus vitamin E daily. The second group will take 2400 mg of CoQ10 plus vitamin E daily. The third group will take a placebo with plus vitamin E every day.

Katie Kompoliti, M.D., Neurologist with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says the Phase II trial showed 1200 mg/day of CoQ10 was safe and provided much better results than lower doses of the supplement. Now, researchers want to know if doubling that dosage may provide even better results. All participants will be evaluated one, four, six, eight, twelve and sixteen months after the start of the treatment. Patients who experience progression of symptoms will be terminated from the study and provided with the best medical care. Kompoliti says by dropping patients who are no longer responding to CoQ10, researchers will get a better idea of how many people may benefit from the treatment. For information about the trial or to locate the nearest study site, go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, then type the trial identification number in the search box: NCT00740714. Kompoliti warns that although CoQ10 is available in low doses, doctors don't know if it is safe to take high doses of the supplement.

AUDIENCE INQUIRY
For information about the trial or to locate the nearest study site, go to http://www.clinicaltrial.gov/ct2/show/NCT00740714?term=NCT00740714&rank=1)
or go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, then type the trial identification number in the search box: NCT00740714.

 
For general information on Parkinson’s Disease:
American Parkinson Disease Association, http://www.apdaparkinson.org
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, http://www.michaeljfox.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, http://www.ninds.nih.gov
National Parkinson Foundation, http://www.parkinson.org
Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, http://www.pdf.org

Research compiled and edited by Barbara J. Fister

© 2010 Medstar Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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