Traces of caffeine in the blood can be indicative of Parkinson’s disease

Researchers at Juntendo University finds the potential use of blood levels of caffeine and its byproducts as biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease. The finding is promising for the development of a method enabling early identification of the disease.

There is evidence that daily caffeine consumption reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s.  Now, a team of researchers led by Nobutaka Hattori from Juntendo University School of Medicine have studied how traces of caffeine in the blood, after drinking coffee, can be indicative of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers found that caffeine levels are significantly lower in patients with the disease; caffeine concentrations could, therefore, be used as an indicator of Parkinson’s, particularly in its early stages.

The scientists found from a study that the serum levels of caffeine and of almost all metabolites, including theophylline, theobromine and paraxanthine  were lower in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Although the data obtained show that there is a clear relation between a person’s caffeine (metabolite) serum levels and having Parkinson’s disease, there was no significant association between the severity of the disease and the concentration of any of the caffeine-related substances. The findings suggest that caffeine and caffeine metabolite levels in the blood can be early diagnostic biomarkers for the [Parkinson’s] disease.The results also indicate the neuroprotective effects of caffeine”.

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