Lithium is an elemental chemical found naturally as an alkali metal. The ionic form can be used to form salts which are readily available for medicinal purposes. Although the exact mechanism of action for lithium is unknown, it is believed to function by simultaneously raising serotonin levels and lowering norepinephrine levels. Lithium is used primarily as a mood stabilizer, as it has the unique ability to treat both mania and depression. Unfortunately, the downside of lithium is that it has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning the blood levels which provide benefits are very close to the blood levels which cause side effects and toxicity. Because of the need for such close monitoring of blood levels, the medication has largely fallen out of favor except for certain diseases like bipolar disorder. Read more →

A recent issue of the journal Neurology published two separate case-controlled studies that showed a decreased risk for Parkinson’s disease associated with both cholesterol-lowering medication and blood pressure-lowering medication.

A common class of cholesterol-lowering medications, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also collectively called “statins”), includes the well-known and often-prescribed atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor), and pravastatin (Pravachol). In the current study, each of these drugs, except pravastatin, was associated with a 60 to 70% decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Read more →

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects the central nervous system and causes an impairment of speech and motor skills. Parkinson’s disease affects 1 in 100 people that are over 60 years of age and has a nearly equal incidence rate in women and men. It is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as the most common neurodegenerative disease. Five to ten percent of Parkinson’s patients have an early onset around the age of 40 or younger. Read more →