THE SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY OF NEUPRO

9th September 2012 -

 

Parkinsonism Related Disorders [2012] Sep 3 [Epub ahead of print] (Oertel W, Lewitt P, Giladi N, Ghys L, Grieger F, Boroojerdi B.) 

Although dopamine agonists are sometimes perceived as poorly tolerated by the elderly, there is little clinical evidence to support these concerns. So the safety and tolerability of rotigotine transdermal system have been assessed in four 6-month studies. : two in early Parkinson's Disease and two in advanced Parkinson's Disease.Neupro® (Rotigotine Transdermal System) is a dopamine

For most adverse events no age-related differences in were observed. In early Parkinson's Disease those symptoms more common in those younger than 65 in comparison to those who were 65 were : nausea (38% v 30%) and headache (15% v 9%). In another study, amongst older patients, those symptoms more common in those younger than 75 in comparison to those who were 75 were : nausea (36% v 21%), and dizziness (15% v 28%). In people with advanced Parkinson's Disease it was still the younger patients that more commonly had nausea (24% v 19%). It was only falls that were more common in older patients (13% v 8%). So oddly, the adverse events of this dopamine agonists were generally less rather than greater with age, as if the adverse events were adapted to.