Methamphetamine 'increases Parkinson's risk'

There is an increased risk of Parkinson's disease among users of methamphetamine, a study has found.

Research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) revealed that patients who were hospitalised for methamphetamine or amphetamine-use disorders were at a 76 per cent higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

This type of drug is the second most commonly used class of illegal substance worldwide, researchers noted.

CAMH scientist Dr Stephen Kish pointed out: "It is important for the public to know that our findings do not apply to patients who take amphetamines for medical purposes, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), since these patients use much lower doses of amphetamines than those taken by patients in our study."

In other Parkinson's news, two independent research studies have revealed a new genetic mutation associated with an inherited type of the neurodegenerative condition, according to research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

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