Does L-dopa treatment contribute to reduction in body weight in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease?

Objective-Many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) lose weight also early during the disease. The objective of the study was to investigate possible causative factors for this loss. Materials and methods-In this report, 28 PD patients and 28 age- and sex-matched controls were repeatedly assessed with the focus on body weight, body fat mass, dysphagia, olfaction, physical activity, PD symptomatology and drug treatment. Results-Weight loss was seen in PD patients both before and during L-dopa treatment. Conclusion- The underlying disease could play a role, but our results also suggest that L-dopa per se could contribute to the weight loss.