As I’ve watched a dear friend cope bravely with Parkinson’s disease, I can’t help but feel frustrated by how little we know about what causes this mysterious neurological illness — I am sure that any of you who know someone with Parkinson’s feel the same way. Someday some brilliant scientist will weave together the many seemingly disparate clues… but meanwhile, a new study has uncovered something intriguing. What researchers have discovered is that people who regularly take the popular painkiller ibuprofen (sold as Advil and other brands) seem to be at lower risk for Parkinson’s. I was interested to see that this latest finding comes from Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who studies how dietary and environmental factors affect risk for Parkinson’s. He and I had spoken just a few years ago about the connection between Parkinson’s and melanoma, so I gave him a call to learn more about his latest research.

Which Painkillers Work?

Dr. Gao and his team have been examining the association between painkillers and Parkinson’s disease for nearly a decade. In fact, Harvard researchers identified a link between lower Parkinson’s risk and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) painkillers as early as 2003. Then in 2005, they found that ibuprofen appeared to be the only NSAID that protected against Parkinson’s. Now, Dr. Gao told me, this newest study has confirmed that finding and added some more detail.

The study: After examining the medical records of 136,197 participants (none of whom had Parkinson’s at the start) in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study over a six-year period, Dr. Gao found that 291 participants developed the disease… and participants who used ibuprofen at least twice a week had a one-third lower risk for Parkinson’s than those who did not take it as often. Dr. Gao then did a secondary meta-analysis of six other studies concerning Parkinson’s and ibuprofen and learned that their results were almost identical to his, showing a risk reduction for ibuprofen users of about 30%. His new study also confirmed that the decreased risk was not found among people using any other painkillers, including aspirin or acetaminophen(Tylenol).

What Else Works?

Dr. Gao theorizes that ibuprofen reduces the risk for Parkinson’s disease by activating a signaling pathway called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR-gamma) that in turn inhibits nerve cell death, oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in the brain. While it seems safe to say that ibuprofen has some specific protective property, Dr. Gao emphasized that we don’t yet know what it is. And, he added, it’s important to note that ibuprofen can cause troubling side effects, including gastrointestinal distress and bleeding. In high doses, it has been known to worsen kidney and cardiovascular problems as well. People who have a family history of Parkinson’s disease should discuss with their doctors whether and how much ibuprofen to take.

In general, Dr. Gao says, he prefers to see people bolster their health with a heathful diet and exercise. In fact, in another recent study, he discovered that the antioxidants in berries were as effective as ibuprofen in lowering Parkinson’s risk — people who ate at least two cups of berries per week had a one-fourth lower risk than those who didn’t eat berries. And their only side effect was to make people want more!