title: Protein redistribution diet remains effective in patients with fluctuating parkinsonism.
abstract: Forty-three carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet)-treated parkinsonian patients with protein-sensitive motor fluctuations were started on the protein redistribution diet within the past 48 months. Thirty patients (70%) are still using the diet successfully after more than 12 months (mean duration, 33.6 months; range, 12 to 48 months). The diet was discontinued in the other 13 cases. In 10 of these 13 patients, the protein redistribution diet was discontinued for a variety of reasons, despite continued sensitivity to dietary protein; in only three patients (7%), those with the most severe and complicated disease, was the protein redistribution diet stopped because of its limited therapeutic benefit. The protein redistribution diet is a simple adjunct to the treatment of Parkinson's disease that can significantly prolong the efficacy of levodopa therapy in many fluctuating "end-stage" patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Karstaedt
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Pincus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D004338:Drug Combinations; C009265:carbidopa, levodopa drug combination; D007980:Levodopa; D002230:Carbidopa