Parkinsonism Relat Disord
Penicillin may lower Parkinson’s risk, while antifungals may increase it
Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk was modestly lower among adults who'd previously received multiple courses of penicillin in the last 15 years and modestly higher among those exposed to antifungal medicines in recent years in a large UK-representative population. The findings suggest a potential protective effect of penicillins and an increased risk linked to antifungal use.
Using a nested case-control design, researchers analyzed data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) to compare newly diagnosed PD cases (n = 12,557) with matched controls (n = 80,804). The study aimed to determine the association between the number of antimicrobial courses prescribed and the subsequent risk of PD.
Key findings: Individuals who'd received multiple courses of penicillin had a modestly lower risk of developing PD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.85 for those prescribed ≥5 courses 1 to 5 years prior (95 % CI, 0.76-0.95; p = 0.043). Conversely, exposure to ≥2 courses of antifungals 1 to 5 years before the index date was associated with a higher risk of PD (OR 1.16; 95 % CI, 1.06-1.27; p = 0.020).
Source:
Pal G, et al. (2024, October). Parkinsonism Relat Disord. Effects of antimicrobial exposure on the risk of Parkinson's disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39098264/