NEW DELHI New Delhi: A common heart drug has shown potential to delay the onset of Huntington's disease – a progressive and hereditary brain disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to break down, according to a new study. Common symptoms of Huntington's include uncontrolled movements such as tremors and convulsions, lack of coordination, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and trouble walking. Researchers at the University of Iowa in the US found that the use of beta-blocker drugs – which are commonly used to treat heart and blood pressure problems – could significantly delay the onset of Huntington's symptoms in people in the pre-symptomatic stages. Are. In people who were diagnosed, beta-blockers also slowed the rate of worsening of symptoms. “Since there are no disease-modifying agents for Huntington's disease, beta-blockers, which are inexpensive and have a known safety profile, are available to patients at different stages of the disease,” said lead author Jordan Schultz, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the university. The benefits we can provide are very exciting.”

Previous research has shown that the “fight or flight” response is stronger in Huntington's disease patients, even when they are at rest. The team targeted beta-blockers because they block the action of norepinephrine. Known to – A neurotransmitter and hormone involved in the “fight or flight” response. For the study published in JAMA Neurology, the team focused on two different groups of Huntington's patients; People who have the genetic mutation that causes the disease but who have not yet started to show significant clinical symptoms (the pre-cohort group), and patients who have already received a clinical diagnosis – those who have motor -Called manifest patients (MM group).