Caffeine levels may aid early Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

Caffeine levels in the blood may help to diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to researchers from the Juntendo University School of Medicine (Tokyo, Japan). The study, published in Neurology, indicated that individuals with PD exhibited lower bloodstream levels of caffeine in comparison with non-PD sufferers, despite consuming the same amount of the substance. The researchers examined 108 people who had been suffering with PD for approximately 6 years. A control group of 31 similarly-aged individuals who did not have the disease was also enrolled. Participants had their blood tested for caffeine as well as 11 by-products of caffeine metabolism. The...