News tagged with 'Parkinson'

A new report by the Institute of Medicine suggests exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides sprayed by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War might put veterans at increased risk for heart disease and Parkinson's.

One in six under treatment for Parkinson's Disease can expect to develop compulsive behaviors, this study from the Mayo Clinic finds. It confirms other anecdotal reports including one from a Milwaukee police officer, who won $8.2 million from a jury after developing compulsive gambling from PD treatment.

A new study in the journal Neurology suggests obesity, in particular, abdominal obesity, may be linked to a greater risk of developing restless leg syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes unpleasant sensations in the legs.

The founder of Google is underwriting research into the causes of Parkinson's disease with the help of his wife's online DNA collection and analysis company. Segey Brin's mother has Parkinson's disease, and his philanthropy is at least partially motivated by selfish reasons. 

New research in the Archives of Neurology suggests vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin" can help ease the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Researchers found that vitamin D deficiencies may have a unique association with Parkinson’s disease, which warrants further investigation.

The World Stem Cell Summit last week reported new progress on converting mature skin cells into stem cells that provide much needed tissues and organs for people suffering from Parkinson's and leukemia.  The problem has been with apprehension, slow approval and reluctant investors. 

Researchers have discovered an enzyme known to help the body break down alcohol, may also be helpful in reducing the extent of damage caused by a heart attack.

For years Parkinson's patients taking the drug Mirapex have noticed they developed compulsive behaviors such as gambling, eating, shopping, porn. Hundreds of lawsuits are on tap in Minnesota District Court, and the first one has been decided in favor of the plaintiff - $8.2 million.

A natural substance found in the blood appears to slow the development of Parkinson’s disease according to a new report. The antioxidant is called urate. It is a salt that comes from uric acid and is usually found in blood. Too much urate can lead to gout and kidney stones.

For the first time in this study, researchers have found those exposed to pesticides and insecticides had a 1.6 times higher risk of developing Parkinson’s when compared to their relatives with no or low exposure.  Also the loss of a sense of smell is a consistent predictor of PD.

Mice with Parkinson's disease showed the greatest improvement when their cloned cells were repaired and put back in the mice.  They returned to normal movement, giving great hope to research that uses repaired cells cloned from the patient's own body to reduce the chance of rejection.

In what could be a major breakthrough in the race for a Parkinson's disease cure, researchers announced this week that embryonic stem cells injected into the brains of rats with the disorder helped alleviate symptoms. Harvard Medical School researchers and doctors at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts found that embryon