Macular degeneration onset delayed by Parkinson drug

Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease are often prescribed the drug L-DOPA (Levodopa) and researchers have discovered that this drug can also be used to delay the onset of age-related macular degeneration. Researchers presented their findings at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. In the retrospective study, researchers evaluated data from over 15 million people and what they found was that patients taking L-DOPA were much less likely to develop macular degeneration that those who were not taking the drug. In addition, those taking L-DOPA who did develop macular degeneration developed at a much later age. Additional studies will need to be conducted to confirm these initial findings.*