Contents:
- Medical Video: How To Take Metformin | How To Start Taking Metformin | How To Reduce Metformin Side Effects (2018)
- What is Parkinson's disease?
- Is it true that diabetes medicine can also be used as a medicine for Parkinson's disease?
- How to control Parkinson's disease?
Medical Video: How To Take Metformin | How To Start Taking Metformin | How To Reduce Metformin Side Effects (2018)
It is known that metformin is one of the drugs widely used by people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aka diabetes. However, what is not widely known is the role of metformin in Parkinson's disease. Apparently, there are a number of studies that have examined the benefits of metformin as a drug for Parkinson's disease. How can diabetes medicine be used as a medicine for Parkinson's disease? See the explanation here.
What is Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, which is a disease that affects a certain part of the nerve structure called the substantia nigra, where nerve cells in that part die. Substantia nigra is a part of the brain that regulates movement control. So in this disease, the symptoms that arise are motor and cognitive disorders, besides that can also arise disorders mood if the disease is severe enough.
In this disease, inflammation plays a major role in cell death in Parkinson's disease so that anti-inflammatory treatment is useful to prevent or delay the severity of this disease. Although the cause of Parkinson's disease is still unknown, an increase in risk factors can increase the occurrence of disease. For example, risk due to age, history of sleep disorders, brain injury, exposure to pesticides, to diabetes mellitus.
Is it true that diabetes medicine can also be used as a medicine for Parkinson's disease?
Metformin, as a drug often used to control diabetes, can also be useful to reduce inflammation. However, from various studies, it was found that metformin actually increases nerve cell death. This in fact is actually still being investigated further by scientists, because there may be several theories that can cause these results, one of which is the use of combined diabetes drugs, such as insulin and sulfonylureas.
One study says that metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, especially in long-term use. One effect of vitamin B12 deficiency is neuropathy, or nerve damage. In serious vitamin B12 deficiency, it can also cause cognitive function disorders.
Therefore, even though there is an initial research, metformin has not been able to be given as a cure for Parkinson's disease.
How to control Parkinson's disease?
Consuming Parkinson's disease medications that have been prescribed by your doctor regularly and according to recommendations is very important to control this disease. The drugs commonly given to patients are levodopa and pramipexole.
In addition to taking regular medication, here are tips on living a healthy life if you have Parkinson's disease.
- Customize the layout of items in your home and your daily activities. For example, during this time your bedroom is on the second floor, try to move to the room below.
- Eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, wheat, lean meat, and various dairy products such as cheese and yogurt that are low in fat.
- Keep exercising regularly, as recommended by the doctor.
- Follow physical therapy or similar therapy to train muscles and joints. Ask for the right therapeutic reference from the doctor who handles you.
- Avoid activities or movements that can make you lose balance, such as walking while carrying lots of things at once or walking in a dark place.
