Use of inhaled beta-2 agonists not linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease.

Beta-2 agonists are bronchodilators commonly used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although beta-2 agonists have been associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease in some previous epidemiological studies, this association was not found in a recent register-based study from the University of Eastern Finland.

Accumulation of the alpha-synuclein protein in the brain plays a central role in Parkinson’s disease. Beta-2 agonists were found to decrease the expression of alpha-synuclein gene in animal and cell models, which could be beneficial in terms of Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, despite beta-2 agonists having been associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease in some earlier epidemiological studies, confounding factors such as smoking may have influenced this association.

According to the newly published case-control study among people diagnosed with asthma or COPD, the use of inhaled short- or long-acting beta-2 agonists at least three years before Parkinson’s disease diagnosis was not associated with the risk of Parkinson’s disease. There was no consistent dose-response association either. Different comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, along with age, sex and duration of asthma or COPD were controlled for in the study.

This study was conducted as part of the FINPARK study, which covers 22,189 community-dwelling Finnish residents with Parkinson’s disease, and a matched comparison cohort.

Reference:β2-Adrenoceptor Agonists in Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: Nested Case-Control Study .,Clinical Epidemiology, DOI 10.2147/CLEP.S405325 .