J Neurol

Some common medications may delay Parkinson's disease onset by years

April 21, 2025

Commonly prescribed medications such as adrenergic blockers, statins, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may significantly delay the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD). This could have important implications for the management and prevention strategies in patients at risk for PD, potentially guiding therapeutic decisions to delay disease onset.

Study details: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 1,201 patients to investigate the association between the use of adrenergic blockers, statins, NSAIDs, and the age at onset (AAO) of PD. The study included information on smoking status, family history, and medication use, with a focus on whether these medications were started before or after the onset of PD symptoms.

Results: Exposure to adrenergic blockers, statins, and NSAIDs was strongly correlated with a later AAO of PD. Specifically, adrenergic blockers (β = 5.7), statins (β = 5.6), and NSAIDs (β = 4.1) were identified as the strongest independent predictors of older AAO (p < 0.001). Patients who started adrenergic blockers before the onset of PD symptoms had an average AAO of 72.3 years, nearly 10 years later than those who didn't use these medications or started them after symptom onset.

Source:

Malatt C, et al. (2025, March 6). J Neurol. Adrenergic blockers, statins, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with later age at onset in Parkinson's disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40047945/