Individuals with Parkinson's disease are less likely to smoke or consume high doses of caffeine than their family members who do not have the disease, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Smoking cigarettes, consuming caffeine and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications (such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen) have been reported to protect individuals from developing Parkinson's disease, according to background information in the article. However, little family-based research has examined these associations. Studying individuals with Parkinson's disease and their families enables scientists to limit the number of unknown genetic and environmental factors influencing the development of the condition.
Dana B. Hancock, B.S., of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and colleagues assessed the associations between smoking, caffeine and NSAID use and Parkinson's disease in 356 Parkinson's disease patients (average age 66.1) and 317 family members without the disease (average age 63.7). Participants were evaluated clinically to confirm their Parkinson's disease status and then interviewed by phone to determine their exposure to environmental factors.