A-Z Guide to the Year in Medicine

(12 of 20)

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PAINKILLERS Although Ibuprofen and the other over-the-counter painkillers known to doctors as nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do not carry the same risks as the COX-2 inhibitors (see "Black Box Warnings"), they are not problem-free. Reacting to reports of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and skin problems associated with NSAIDs, the Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers to rewrite their warning labels.

PARKINSON'S Most people think of Parkinson's disease as something that leads to a shuffling gait or uncontrollable tremors in the hand. But the neurodegenerative process behind the condition can also trigger anxiety or other psychological disorders and--as scientists learned this year--so can the treatment. A Mayo Clinic study found that in rare cases, treatment with a so-called dopamine agonist led 11 patients to develop compulsive-gambling habits (two reported losses over $60,000). Four had never gambled before, but all the patients stopped their wagering within months after treatment was discontinued. The effect was apparently greatest with the drug pramipexole, which investigators theorize indirectly triggered the "reward system" of the brain. Fortunately, the urge to gamble didn't seem to show up in folks who only took the major Parkinson's drug, with carbidopa to slow its effect.

There's still no cure for Parkinson's disease, of course, so anything that prevents or delays its onset would be a welcome development. Harvard researchers found that vigorous regular exercise early in adult life cut in half a man's risk of developing Parkinson's later on. Physical activity was also associated with a decline in Parkinson's in women, although the drop was not statistically significant. Still, there are plenty of other reasons--from helping the heart to improving one's mood--to get moving.