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Smoking and Caffeine May Protect Against Parkinson's Disease

|| DukeMedNews || Smoking and Caffeine May Protect Against Parkinson's Disease

DURHAM, N.C. – In families affected by Parkinson's disease, the people who smoked cigarettes and drank a lot of coffee were less likely to develop the disease, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

The findings suggest that both genetic and environmental factors may influence the development of Parkinson's, a progressive neurodegenerative disease marked by trembling of the arms and legs, stiffness and rigidity of the muscles and slowness of movement.

Previous studies have suggested that smokers and coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. However, this is the first study to look specifically at cigarette smoking and caffeine consumption within families affected by the disease, the researchers said.

Smoking cigarettes and consuming copious amounts of caffeine carry their own risks and should not be taken up in an attempt to avoid developing Parkinson's disease, cautions study investigator Burton L. Scott, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine.

[...]

The biological mechanisms through which smoking and caffeine might work in individuals at risk of Parkinson's disease are still not clear, said study co-investigator Mark A. Stacy, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the Duke Movement Disorders Center.

"Smoking and caffeine may modify underlying genetic susceptibilities that exist in families with Parkinson's disease, but further work is needed to see how this interaction ultimately plays out," Stacy said.

Uh, Parkinsons is caused by low dopamine. Coffee and nicotine increase dopamine? Wow! I'm smart!

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