Among the greatest terrors of old age is the fear of becoming physically crippled. About 600,000 Americans are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, which is marked by a progressive dying off of the brain cells that control voluntary movement. Victims suffer from the shakes, muscle stiffness and poor balance; eventually, many become totally disabled. Standard treatment for Parkinson's has relied on giving patients levodopa. But the drug, which supplies remaining brain cells with a vital chemical, simply tempers the disease's symptoms without affecting its progress. Even worse, the medication soon becomes ineffective. For that reason, doctors wait as long as possible after...
Medicine: Brain Defender
A new drug slows the progress of Parkinson's disease
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