Treating Parkinson’s Disease With Rasagiline

Rasagiline is a drug in the family of selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitors. Patients take rasagiline alone or in combination with other medicines to treat Parkinson’s disease. If this disorder is very advanced, combination therapies can be used.

Rasagiline selects type B monoamine oxidase, ignoring type A. Thus, it causes an increase in the level of certain natural substances in the brain, such as monoamines.

This medicine is available as tablets for oral use. People who are treated with rasagiline usually take it once a day, with or without food.

Rasagiline has better neuroprotective properties than other medicines used for the same purpose, such as selegiline, because it does not turn into toxic substances.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system. Of the disorders in this category, only Alzheimer’s disease is more common. Parkinson’s disease has been included in the subcategory of movement disorders.

It is characterized by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra , a structure located in the middle of the brain. If the substance is destroyed, the level of dopamine decreases considerably. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter needed to carry movement information from the brain to the rest of the body.

Therefore, Parkinson’s disease affects the transmission of the aforementioned information by lowering the level of dopamine, one of the brain’s monoamines. In addition, it affects the patient’s ability to control their movements. The disease causes a number of motor symptoms, such as tremor during periods of inactivity and generalized stiffness.

What causes Parkinson’s disease?

Although many factors have been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, researchers have not yet been able to determine what triggers it. Risk factors include:

• Age: There is a close link between the age of patients and the onset of Parkinson’s disease. This disorder tends to occur in people between the ages of 50 and 60. If it occurs before the age of 50, it is Parkinson’s disease with early onset.
• Genetic inheritance: 90% of cases do not involve genetic alterations. However, at least 15-25% of affected patients have a relative who suffers from this disease.
• Environmental factors: Prolonged consumption of well water or exposure to pesticides and herbicides may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Why is it recommended to treat Parkinson’s disease with rasagiline?

As mentioned earlier, rasagiline is a drug that inhibits monoamine oxidase B. This enzyme is part of the mitochondria of the terminal nerves of the body, especially those of the brain, liver and intestinal mucosa.

Monoamine oxidase regulates the degradation of catecholamines (such as dopamine) and serotonin in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. In the brain, the dominant monoamine oxidase is type B.

Researchers are still debating the mechanisms of action of rasagiline. They suspect that its effects may be due to the inhibitory action of monoamine oxidase B, producing an increase in extracellular dopamine levels.

Increased dopamine levels and therefore dopaminergic activity are most likely to be the basis of the beneficial effects of rasagiline. At least that is what the observation of dopaminergic motor dysfunction patterns suggests.

conclusions

Rasagiline is a medicine used to treat Parkinson’s disease. It is available as tablets for oral administration. Doctors recommend that patients always take it at a fixed time, with or without food.

Always follow the doctor’s instructions and do not hesitate to ask questions if you have any questions. Improper use of rasagiline can have serious health consequences.