Heart Medication Shows Potential in Delaying Huntington's Disease
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New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) A widely used heart medication has demonstrated potential to postpone the onset of Huntington's disease -- a hereditary and progressive brain condition that leads to the deterioration of nerve cells in the brain, as revealed in a recent study.
Typical symptoms of Huntington's encompass uncontrollable movements such as jerking and twitching, loss of coordination, issues with swallowing, slurred speech, and difficulties in walking.
Researchers from the University of Iowa in the United States discovered that the application of beta-blocker medications -- frequently prescribed for heart and blood pressure conditions -- can result in a notably later onset of Huntington's symptoms in individuals within the pre-symptomatic phase.
For those already diagnosed, the beta-blocker also contributed to a reduction in the rate of symptom progression.
"Considering that there are currently no disease-modifying treatments for Huntington's disease, the prospect that beta-blockers, which are economical and have a well-established safety record, might benefit patients at different stages of the disease is incredibly promising," expressed lead author Jordan Schultz, assistant professor of psychiatry at the university.
Prior studies have indicated that individuals with Huntington's disease appear to exhibit a heightened fight or flight response, even during periods of rest.
The research team opted to investigate beta-blockers based on their known capability to inhibit the activity of norepinephrine -- a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with the fight or flight mechanism.
The study, published in JAMA Neurology, examined two distinct categories of Huntington's patients: those carrying the genetic mutation responsible for the disease but who have not yet exhibited significant clinical symptoms (pre-group), and patients who have already received a clinical diagnosis, referred to as motor-manifest patients (mm group).
Within each category, the research team identified patients who had been on a beta-blocker for a minimum of one year.
Subsequently, they matched 174 pre-beta-blocker users with 149 mm beta-blocker users against an equal number of similar individuals not using beta-blockers.
The analysis revealed that pre-beta-blocker users experienced a considerably lower annual risk of receiving a clinical diagnosis of Huntington's, indicating a correlation between beta-blocker usage and a delayed onset of the disease.
In the mm group, patients taking beta-blockers exhibited a significant deceleration in the gradual decline of motor, cognitive, and functional symptoms.
However, Schultz emphasized that the study only indicates associations between beta-blocker use in Huntington's patients, stating, "the data does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship."
