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.