Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Preliminary Investigation of Risk Factors Causing Dyskinesias in Parkinsonâ€™s Disease in South Africa

Razia Gaida, Ilse Truter

Drug Utilisation Research Unit (DURU), Department of Pharmacy, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth, South Africa;

For correspondence:- Ilse Truter Email: ilse.truter@nmmu.ac.za Tel:+27415042131

Received: 18 March 2014 Accepted: 30 June 2014 Published: 18 August 2014

Citation: Gaida R, Truter I. Preliminary Investigation of Risk Factors Causing Dyskinesias in Parkinsonâ€™s Disease in South Africa. Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(8):1353-1359 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i8.22

© 2014 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the risk factors involved in the onset of dyskinesias in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease in South Africa.

Methods: A questionnaire survey and medical record review were conducted. A total of 43 patients with Parkinson’s disease in two metropolitan areas were included in the study.

Results: The number of patients with dyskinesias indicated by medical records (n =10) was less than the number of patients with self-reported dyskinesias (n = 13). According to the patient interviews, the mean prescribed daily dose (PDD) of levodopa was 750 ± 452 mg. Twelve patients had been using levodopa for > 10 years. Mean PDD of levodopa according to the medical records was 809 ± 514 mg, with dyskinetic patients receiving a higher average PDD of 870 ± 590 mg. Half of the patients with dyskinesias were diagnosed more than 10 years ago. Patients with dyskinesias were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at a younger age (11.63 % dyskinetic patients were diagnosed between 40 and 60 years), and experienced longer disease duration. There were no gender differences (p = 0.80) in the incidence of dyskinesias.

Conclusion: Higher doses of levodopa, longer disease duration and a longer duration of levodopa therapy were risk factors for dyskinesias. Further studies are needed on the incidence of dyskinesias.

Keywords: Parkinsonâ€™s disease, Dyskinesias, Levodopa; Drug utilisation South Africa