High urate levels seen slowing Parkinson's disease

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Parkinson's disease worsens at a slower pace in people with naturally higher levels of a compound called urate in their blood, suggesting a possible new way to help fight the incurable ailment, researchers said on Monday.

Urate, the salt form of uric acid, is a prominent component of blood, urine and spinal fluid. It also is a powerful antioxidant that may protect cells from damage and its antioxidant potency rivals that of vitamin C.

The researchers looked at data from a previously conducted study of about 800 people with early Parkinson's disease who were tracked for about two years.

Patients whose urate levels were in the highest 20 percent of all the study participants were half as likely as those with levels in the lowest 20 percent to have their disease progress to the point they needed medication to treat their symptoms.

In addition, brain scans showed evidence that those with higher urate levels also lost the fewest dopamine-producing neurons, the type of brain cell affected by the disease.

"We found that higher levels of urate among people with early Parkinson's disease is associated with a slower rate of Parkinson's progression," Dr. Michael Schwarzschild of Massachusetts General Hospital, who helped lead the study, said in a telephone interview.

The findings appear in the journal Archives of Neurology.

Parkinson's disease is caused by the destruction of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which normally sends signals that help coordinate the body's movements. It typically develops after age 60 but can appear earlier in some people.