Thanks to Christopher Columbus we know the world is round, rather than flat. First Copernicus, and then Galileo, dared to question conventional wisdom. They eventually convinced the world the planet Earth is not the center of the universe. It is probably safe to say that most of humanity appreciates their boldness, and willingness to forward a radical concept. Society advanced immensely over the bridges that Columbus, Copernicus, and Galileo built.
As I read this story posted on the USA Today Web site, I naturally assumed a skeptical position. A group of PD researchers are testing the affect of a diet requiring 90 percent of calories from fat on Parkinson’s disease patients. According to the article, the five patients that followed the high-fat diet experienced “modest improvements in balance, tremors and mood.”
Obviously, there is evidence against high fat diets. However, the physicians the article cites do not claim that a high-fat diet is a generally good practice. They point out that they are experimenting with the merits of a high-fat diet for people with Parkinson’s disease. This is such a small study that this may be a fluke. However, I am making a note to keep an eye on this. Imagine the enlightening surprise for those who continued to observe Columbus, Copernicus, and Galileo. They had nothing to lose by just keeping an ear to the ground. Nevertheless, I am more optimistic that a well-balanced diet, with ample nutrition from complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables helps people with Parkinson’s.
I am also optimistic that a new drug, rasagiline (marketed under the brand name Azilect in Europe where it is approved) can markedly improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s. I strongly encourage you to read this article. Clinical data shows that rasagiline reduces typical parkinson’s symptoms such as freezing and tremors. However, more recent data shows that rasagiline also helps people with Parkinson’s experience a higher quality of life by decreasing depression, increasing feelings of a positive self-image, and maintaining healthy sexuality. I hope the FDA gets moving and approves rasagiline here in the United States soon.
Finally, I also have a guarded optimism for the role of gene therapy and stem cell therapy. I hate to bunch them together in a sentence because they are really two different sciences. However, there are some encouraging news stories that demonstrate likely potential. In this Barbados Nation News article, a California resident with Multiple Sclerosis, Ken Barrette, achieved significant relief from a stem cell treatment rendered in Barbados. Keep in mind that this is a single encouraging event. While it is newsworthy, stem cells are still a new science.
Why would I even imply any skepticism about stem cell transplants? Well, according to this article, also from Barbados Nation News, the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, in Barbados, treated 40 patients last year. I do not know that they all received stem cell treatments. Furthermore, I can only find a few anecdotal reports about the successes of these patients. I do not know how many of those patients had a positive outcome.
If you know of news stories, or know individuals who have undergone treatments with stem cells, please forward them to me at mnilsen@myparkinsonsinfo.com. I would love to blog on them. Thanks for your help.
