Influence of benzodiazepines on antiparkinsonian drug treatment in levodopa users.
OBJECTIVE
Animal studies showed that benzodiazepines decrease the concentration of dopamine in the striatum. Benzodiazepines may therefore affect the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This study determined whether start of a benzodiazepine in patients on levodopa was followed by a faster increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment.


METHODS
Data came from the PHARMO database, which includes information on drug dispensing for all residents of six Dutch cities. Selected were all patients aged 55 years and older who used levodopa for at least 360 days. The rate of increase of antiparkinsonian drug treatment was compared between starters of a benzodiazepine and controls who did not start a benzodiazepine with the use of Cox's proportional hazard model.


RESULTS
Identified were 45 benzodiazepine starters (27 women, mean age 76.4 years) and 169 controls (83 women, 74.3 years). Antiparkinsonian drug treatment increased faster in the benzodiazepine group; relative risk was 1.44 (95% confidence interval 0.80-2.59).


CONCLUSIONS
This study has not found any statistically significant increase in antiparkinsonian drug treatment when a benzodiazepine was started in a small population of chronic levodopa users.
van de Vijver
D A M C
DA
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. d.a.m.c.vandevijver@pharm.uu.nl
Roos
R A C
RA
Jansen
P A F
PA
Porsius
A J
AJ
de Boer
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D007980:Levodopa