Common heart meds may protect against Parkinson's

Washington, Jan 23 (ANI): A specific type of medication used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, angina and abnormal heart rhythms may also reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, says a new study.

Dr. Beate Ritz, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health, in collaboration with researchers from the Danish Cancer Society, found that a specific sub-class of dihydropyridine cardiovascular medications was associated with a 26 to 30 percent decrease in the risk of Parkinson's.

The study will be published in the journal Annals of Neurology.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by a loss of voluntary movement, the result of the death of neurons in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra, which is involved in movement control. (ANI)