Hypertrophy of intima media of the carotid artery due to L-dopa therapy in Parkinson's disease.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have shown that L-dopa therapy used in patients with Parkinson's disease might cause thickening of the carotid artery intima media. It is known that intima-media thickening is a sign of systemic atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between L-dopa medication and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with Parkinson's disease.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with Parkinson's disease who used L-dopa (LD+) and 17 patients who did not use L-dopa (LD-) treatment were included in this study. Colour Doppler with B-mode carotid ultrasonography was performed. The Hoehn-Yahr scale was used for staging of Parkinson's disease in an 'on' state. The Student t test was used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
The IMT of the left internal carotid and external carotid arteries were found to be thicker in patients treated with L-dopa. The mean IMT of the left internal carotid artery was 0.937+/-0.391 mm in the LD+ group and 0.677+/-0.138 mm in the LD-group (P=0.013). The mean IMT of the left external carotid artery was 0.956+/-0.531 mm in the LD+ group and 0.646+/-0.18 mm in the LD-group (P=0.037).


CONCLUSIONS
The IMT of the carotid artery was found to be thicker in patients who were treated with L-dopa. In conclusion, patients treated with L-dopa appear to be at a higher risk of thickening of the intima media of the carotid artery.
Oncel
Cağatay
C
Department of Neurology, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, Turkey. cagatayoncel@yahoo.com
Ince
Birsen
B
Apaydin
Hülya
H
Ozekmekçi
Sibel
S
Uludüz
Derya
D
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa