Newswise — Beta-2 agonists, frequently employed in managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are bronchodilators. While past epidemiological studies linked beta-2 agonists to a decreased likelihood of Parkinson's disease, a recent register-based investigation conducted at the University of Eastern Finland did not discover such an association. These results were published in Clinical Epidemiology.
The accumulation of the alpha-synuclein protein in the brain plays a pivotal role in Parkinson's disease. Animal and cell models have shown that beta-2 agonists can diminish the expression of the alpha-synuclein gene, which could be advantageous in terms of Parkinson's disease. Moreover, while earlier epidemiological studies have associated beta-2 agonists with a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease, factors such as smoking may have influenced this association. Smoking is a primary cause of COPD and can exacerbate asthma control, leading to an increased reliance on beta-2 agonists. Interestingly, smoking is also linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease, underscoring the importance of controlling for confounding factors in the study setting. Although nationwide Finnish register data does not include smoking information, the impact of smoking can be mitigated by restricting the study to individuals where the history of smoking is more likely to be evenly distributed.
The recently published case-control study focused on individuals diagnosed with asthma or COPD and examined the relationship between the usage of inhaled short- or long-acting beta-2 agonists at least three years before the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. The study found no association between the use of these beta-2 agonists and the risk of Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, there was no consistent dose-response relationship observed. The study took into account various factors including comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, as well as age, sex, and duration of asthma or COPD, in order to control for their potential influence on the results.
The study mentioned was conducted as part of the FINPARK study, which included a total of 22,189 Finnish residents living in the community who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. A matched comparison cohort was also included in the study. The study specifically focused on individuals who had been diagnosed with asthma or COPD at least three years prior to their Parkinson's disease diagnosis. This selection criterion ensured that the study population consisted of individuals with pre-existing asthma or COPD, allowing for a more targeted investigation of the association between beta-2 agonist use and Parkinson's disease risk.
The study was funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Finnish Parkinson Foundation.
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