Mortality among Parkinson patients treated with L-dopa combined with a decarboxylase inhibitor.
Since L-dopa in combination with a decarboxylase inhibitor is currently the most effective therapy available for treatment of Parkinson's disease, the authors compare the actual causes of death in a large series of treated Parkinson patients with a normal population and with previous studies. This investigation shows that the mortality of correctly treated Parkinson patients lies within the range of the expected mortality of a group of a normal population comparable in age and sex. The risk of death for a Parkinson patient is therefore no longer higher than for the normal population.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001545:Benserazide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland
D006834:Hydrazines; D007980:Levodopa; D001545:Benserazide