Deans' stroke musings: Caffeine Cuts Parkinson’s, Even with Genetic Predisposition

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Friday, October 6, 2023

Caffeine Cuts Parkinson’s, Even with Genetic Predisposition

But really, have you ruled out all the thousands of other compounds in coffee compared to caffeine?

Caffeine Cuts Parkinson’s, Even with Genetic Predisposition

Summary: New research unveils a significant correlation between caffeine consumption and a lowered risk of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) for individuals with Asian gene variants linked to the disorder.

The study involving 4,488 subjects disclosed that regular consumption of tea or coffee curtailed the risk of developing PD by four to eight times compared to non-caffeine drinkers who have the gene. Furthermore, the protective benefits appeared to escalate with higher caffeine doses, though even modest consumption below 200mg per day was beneficial.

The findings spotlight caffeine’s potential in mitigating neuroinflammation and cell death, though the exact interaction with Asian PD gene variants remains to be explored.

Key Facts:

Risk Reduction: Regular caffeine consumers with PD gene variants have a 4-8 times lower risk of PD compared to non-caffeine drinkers with the gene.
Average Intake: Participants consumed an average of 448.3 mg and 473.0 mg of caffeine in PD cases and healthy controls respectively, equivalent to about 4-5 cups of Western brewed Arabica coffee.
Population Impact: Up to 10% of Singapore’s population carries one of the two known Asian gene variants associated with a 1.5 to 2 times higher PD risk.

Source: Singhealth

People with Asian gene variants that are linked to PD and who regularly drink tea or coffee containing caffeine have a four to eight times lower risk of getting the condition compared to non-caffeine drinkers who carry the PD genes, according to new research by the National Neuroscience Institute.

In fact, tea and coffee drinkers who carry the PD gene lower their risk of PD to below that of non-caffeine drinkers who do not carry the gene.

This shows a brain in a coffee cup. — Four cups of freshly brewed coffee or two cups of kopi – traditional Singapore coffee which is higher in caffeine – can reduce the risk of PD by 4 to 8 times in people with Asian gene variants linked to the condition. Credit: Neuroscience News

“Caffeine is known to have a potential protective effect against PD and other neurodegenerative conditions, but we have shown that it can significantly cut the risk of PD and level the playing field for Asians who are genetically at higher risk of PD and are currently symptom-free,” said the study’s Principal Investigator, Professor Tan Eng King, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Academic Affairs) and Senior Consultant, Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute.

Announcing the findings today at the 10^th Singapore International Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Symposium, Prof Tan said that caffeine is known to decrease inflammation of neurons in the brain which helps to reduce cell death, but it is not yet known how caffeine interacts with the Asian PD gene variants.

The study, which involved 4,488 subjects, showed that those with Asian specific genetic variants have a 1.5 to 2 times higher risk of developing PD. There are two known Asian gene variants which occur most frequently in East Asians. Up to 10% of the Singapore population carry one of these gene variants which are located in the coding region (responsible for translating into proteins).

All participants completed a validated caffeine intake questionnaire. The average caffeine dose intake of study participants was 448.3 mg among PD cases and 473.0 mg in the healthy controls – the equivalent of 4 to 5 cups of Western style brewed Arabica coffee (235ml/8 fl oz per cup) or 2 cups of traditional Singapore kopi made from Robusta coffee beans, which have a higher caffeine content than Arabica coffee beans.

While the protective benefits of caffeine also appeared to increase with higher doses, those who drank less than 200mg of caffeine per day still cut their risk of PD. Taking 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is generally regarded as a safe intake for most healthy adults.

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative condition globally and more than 8,000 people are living with PD in Singapore. This only represents the tip of the iceberg as a recent study by NNI showed that 26% of the local older population exhibit mild parkinsonian signs. Prof Tan says that these findings are a positive step forward in the fight to prevent this disabling condition.

“This research has important implications for the prevention of PD, especially in countries like Singapore where the Asian gene variants are common. Tea and coffee are readily available and culturally accepted in most Asian societies and consuming caffeine within normal limits offers an easy, pleasant and sociable way for people to potentially reduce their risk of PD.”