Study Links Diabetes Drug in Allowing or Preventing Parkinson's Disease

Drugs used as a treatment for Diabetes may also prevent the inception of Parkinson's disease according to a study. Led by University College London (UCL) researchers, the study's new findings will help validate an impending Phase 3 human clinical trial, that will test a particular diabetes drug in Parkinson's patients. National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines Parkinson's Disease as a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination.

Along with the recent study's result, extensive pre-clinical and preliminary human research has been recounting the effect of a medication for Type 2 diabetes on Parkinson's disease. The medication also called exenatide went along with the method called placebo-controlled study with a respondent of 60 Parkinson's patients. The results suggested that exenatide may slow down the development of degenerative motor symptoms.

According to UCL, With type 2 diabetes, the body does not absorb insulin which is necessary for converting glucose into energy. As brain cells rely on glucose for energy, Type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease's linkage has been questioned. It is remembered that a study by researchers from UCL, Queen Mary University, and Oxford University, published in 2018 states that people with Type 2 Diabetes are 32% more likely to develop Parkinson's Disease.

(Photo: Arek Socha)

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Exenatide and Parkinson's Disease

In an interview with New Atlas, co-author of the study, Tom Foltynie said that these findings added weight to the link between Type 2 Diabetes and Parkinson's disease. He emphasized that the research shows clear signals a drug like exenatide might be able to alter the development of the disease and not just improve symptoms. The study provides further verification of exenatide for a phase 3 clinical trials led by Fotynie, currently recruits 200 people with Parkinson's across the United Kingdom.

An earlier study shows a result that people with Parkinson's who injected themselves with exenatide each week for a year performed better in movement tests than those who injected a placebo. The study added that respondents of the study had their motor ability tested by a well-validated scoring tool before taking the medication (exenatide).

On the other hand, co-author of the study Li-Wei in an interview suggests that it is too early for doctors to consider and offer exenatide to patients with Parkinson's disease. She added that experts should consider Parkinson's disease's risk factors. She emphasized that further research will be needed to confirm any clinical implications of the drug.

What is Exenatide

According to Medline Plus, exenatide is a treatment used alongside diet and exercise on Type 2 Diabetes patients. It works by stimulating the pancreas to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Medline plus added that the drug comes in a solution in a prefilled dosing pen to inject under the skin. Medline plus emphasized the side effects this drug may cause and reminded the patients to know the symptoms of high-blood and low-blood pressure as the drug affects them. Symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, heartburn, and sweating.

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