Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of ropinirole for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of ropinirole (Requip) for the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The data showed that ropinirole was effective in improving motor function and daily living of patients with PD but was associated with an increase in side effects.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder in which part of the brain is progressively damaged over many years. The main cause is the loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain called "substantia nigra", which leads to a reduction in a molecule involved in the body's movement (called dopamine). Therefore, common PD symptoms include involuntarily shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor), slow movements, and stiff and inflexible muscles. The standard treatment for this disorder is levodopa. However, this therapy is associated with high levels of side effects. Therefore, new treatment regimens are necessary.

Dopamine agonists (DA) have been used for both the early and advanced stages of PD. This type of treatment mimics dopamine in the brain and can help boost the brain’s low dopamine supply. There are two main types of this drug: ergot and non-ergot agonists. Ropinirole is a non-ergot agonist. However, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of ropinirole for the treatment of PD.

This study analyzed 12 studies and involved 3341 patients with PD. 1855 patients received ropinirole while 1486 patients received a control treatment.

Overall, ropinirole significantly improved the motor function and ability of daily living of patients compared to control treatment.

Ropinirole significantly increased the risks of dizziness (1.85 times), nausea (2.17 times), vomiting (2.73 times), and lethargy (2.19 times) compared to control treatment. No significant differences in the ocurrence of headache and insomnia were found between the 2 groups.

This study concluded that ropinirole was effective in improving movement function and daily living of patients with PD but was associated with an increase in side effects.

The sample size was very small. Most studies analyzed in this study involved European and American patients which could affect the conclusions. Larger studies are needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ropinirole for the treatment of PD.