A few years ago we were told that something as basic as drinking coffee conferred benefits upon those with Parkinson’s disease. But after closer inspection and expanded study, that conclusion has been withdrawn.
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The new research took note of the small number of participants and the brevity of the previous study, which lasted just six weeks. When they enlarged the pool of subjects and lengthened the timeline, the benefits were no longer apparent. […] “While our previous study showed possible improvement in symptoms, that study was shorter, so it’s possible that caffeine may have a short-term benefit that quickly dissipates,” said Ronald Postuma MD, MSc, at McGill University in Montreal. “Regardless, our core finding is that caffeine cannot be recommended as therapy for movement symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.”
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The 2012 study was only six weeks long; the new study was expanded to six to 18 months, following 121 participants diagnosed with Parkinson’s for an average of four years. Sixty received caffeine capsules, while the other half (61) were given placebos. […] For caffeine consumers, researchers found no appreciable improvement in controlling movement symptoms, as well as no quality of life improvements, two major factors that convinced researchers to halt the study.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: After Review, Caffeine’s Benefit For Parkinson’s Nullified
