Posted: Friday, January 16, 2015 11:15 am | Updated: 4:48 pm, Fri Jan
16, 2015.
Dr. David Higgins lives a busy and active life.
But a few years ago, some mysterious symptoms
threatened to slow him down.
“I was having trouble swimming, and I was having
trouble running,” David Higgins said.
“Stiffness, soreness, lack of control,” Higgins
explained.
David was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,
a disease that affects movement.
Higgins said, “It does not make me feel good about
the future.”
But neurologist Irene Litvan says the future is
looking brighter for people like David. She’s studying a new therapy for Parkinson’s that’s already being used to treat
high blood pressure
“So the good thing is multiple people have taken
it,” Irene Litvan, M.D., Professor of Neurology at UC San Diego Department of
Neural Science and Director of the Movement Disorder Center said.
Isradipine works by blocking calcium channels in
the body. Researchers believe calcium may be overexpressed in people with Parkinson’s. Animal studies show calcium blockers
may slow Parkinson’s, and people who take the drug for high blood pressure are
less likely to develop the disease.
“Hopefully, it will slow the progression of the disease,
and ideally, it would stop the progression of the disease,” said Dr. Litvan.
A Phase II study found it was safe to use in Parkinson’s patients. Now, a larger trial will
determine if isradipine can slow the disease. David is hopeful.
“There is hope for more effective therapies and
perhaps even a cure,” said Higgins.
Until then, he’ll stay as active as he can for as
long as he can.
Dr. Litvan says patients would probably have to take the medication for
the rest of their lives to benefit. Researchers are still enrolling patients in
this clinical trial.
http://health.einnews.com/article/244824450/b8fl0dO5C-83Fcwh
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