It is believed that creatinine may boost the brains of the PD patient as it boosts muscles, according to an AP report.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Exploratory Trials in Parkinson's Disease (NET-PD) continues to support these clinical trial studies to find new treatments for PD, the first of which began in 2003.
The ongoing NET-PD series of research studies are being conducted at 50-plus centers in the U.S. and Canada to seek drugs and/or treatments to slow down the debilitating progression of the disease.
The treatments currently available only treat the symptoms of the disease, but over time, as PD continues to progress, these treatments become less effective.
Recruitment is ongoing for this phase III study, which is the second nutritional supplement being studied to fight PD. Participation for this phase of the study will require a minimum commitment of 5 years and as long as 7 years for some participants.
"Creatine is not completely benign," stated neurologist, Dr. Debra Babcock, from the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, according to an AP report.
Badcock cautions patients not to try this treatment on their own because of the potentially dangerous side effects it can cause.
This disease is a motor system disorder from the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. There are four primary symptoms of PD: (1) tremors or trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; (2) rigidness or stiffness of the limbs and trunk of the body; (3) slowness of movement; and (4) instability of posture or impaired balance and coordination.
The disease progresses to debilitate the sufferer with difficulty in walking, talking and completing other simple daily tasks.
Patients who develop PD are usually greater than 50 years of age.
There are several other symptoms and changes in the PD patient; however, diagnosis of this disease is difficult and may require brain scans and other laboratory tests to rule out any other diseases.
Parkinson's disease affects six million people in the world today, and of this total there are approximately 1.5 million people with PD in the U.S. alone. Currently there is no cure for PD.
The well-known actor, Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with PD, has personally supported the funding of millions of dollars for PD research. He started his own personal crusade with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. For more information about his foundation, visit his website at www.michaeljfox.org .
For additional information about Parkinson's disease or eligibility for the current study, call 1-800-352-9424.
