Parkinson's Drugs may Cause Heart Problems

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, January 4, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease may be causing heart problems in people who take them.

In a large, U.K.-based study, researchers found both Permax (pergolide) and Dostinex (cabergoline) lead to cardiac valve regurgitation. Classified as dopamine agonists, which are the most commonly prescribed drugs for Parkinson's disease, doctors also use these medications to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).

The study involved more than 11,400 people who took Parkinson's disease drugs between 1988 and 2005. Overall, doctors diagnosed 31 cases of cardiac valve regurgitation among the patients. Results linked current use of Permax and Dostinex to an increased risk for the condition. The drugs were most likely to cause problems in people who had used them at daily doses greater than 3 milligrams and for six months or longer.

The researchers report other types of dopamine agonists did not appear to raise the risk for the heart problem. What's the difference? They explain both Permax and Dostinex target a specific receptor expressed in heart valves, while other drugs in this class work in a different way.

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SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2007;356:29-38