A common medication for high blood pressure could help hundreds of thousands suffering with tremor caused by Parkinson’s disease, a study has found.
Standard Parkinson’s treatment does not always prevent tremors, which plague up to 90 per cent of those with the neurodegenerative disease. The symptom, which sees the hands, jaw and legs shake uncontrollably, is not usually disabling but affects day-to-day activities such as shaving, dressing and writing.
Tremors can often get worse in stressful situations, but levodopa, the standard medication to treat the condition, tends to be less effective at these times, failing to cut tremors in 40 per cent of patients.
Instead, researchers at Radboud University in Holland gave Parkinson’s patients propranolol, a beta blocker that inhibits stress hormones, and used MRI scans to map their brain activity.
For all 27 patients who were on the trial, propranolol reduced tremors in both restful and stressful periods.
‘We know that abnormalities in systems like the dopamine system cause tremors,’ said Dr Rick Helmich, a neurology professor at Radboud. ‘Based on our study, we think the stress hormone noradrenaline acts as an amplifier, which increases tremor intensity in the brain’s movement area.
A medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure could help suffers of Parkinson’s disease, a study has found (file photo)
Propranolol, a beta blocker that inhibits stress hormone, was found to be effective in reducing tremors in patients (file photo)
‘Propranolol inhibits this amplifying effect and thus reduces the symptoms.’
It is also used to treat irregular heartbeat patients and it is effective against essential tremor, where patients experience tremors without any other neurological symptoms.
However, it can cause low blood pressure so is recommended only for patients for whom levodopa fails to prevent tremors.
Dr Helmich is also investigating lifestyle changes that may reduce Parkinson’s symptoms. ‘It doesn’t take much to trigger a stress response, causing people to tremble more,’ he said. ‘Something as simple as wondering, “Did I lock the front door?” can set it off.
‘We are investigating whether mindfulness can positively influence the stress system.’