Study: Parkinson's Drug Pergolide Produces Heart Valve Defects in Patients

Pergolide, a drug once commonly used to treat Parkinson's Disease, produces heart valve defects in as many as a quarter of patients who use it, say studies by Italian and German researchers.

The studies, written up in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that pergolide--no longer prescribed in the United States due to earlier reports, and cabergoline, a Parkinson's drug not approved for that use in the U.S.--cause the heart valves to develop fibrous deposits that produce leakage of blood back into the heart.

Earlier research pointed to the risk of heart valve defects but the new European studies indicate that the risk is much higher than previously thought.

Cabergoline is approved here for treating brain tumors and for other uses; it is sometimes used off-label to treat Parkinson's.

see also:

Pergolide Withdrawal FDA News--Pergolide withdrawn due to potential for heart valve damage
pergolide withdrawal due to chance of damage in patient heart valves

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Long-term Use of Prilosec or Nexium May Increase Risk of Heart Attacks

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