Body mass index variations in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion: A case control study versus standard of care and subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an advanced therapy for patients with Parkinson Disease (PD). Weight loss has been pointed out as an adverse event of LCIG infusion. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To compare weight changes between three groups of PD patients: patients treated with LCIG, patients within the first year of subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and patients treated exclusively with oral treatment during 1 year of follow up. METHODS: Patients treated with LCIG were retrospectively matched by age, gender, disease duration and Hoehn and Yahr to patients undergoing STN-DBS and to patients both receiving the standard of care treatment and unwilling advanced therapies (SOC). Clinical features and weight were collected at baseline, and 12 months after introducing the treatment (LCIG and STN-DBS groups) or for one year of treatment (SOC). RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included in each group. They had no differences in clinical and demographic features, except for cognitive impairment. There was a mean weight (-5.8kg ±6.8) and BMI (-2.1kg/m2±2.6) reduction in the LCIG group after 12 months, while there was a slight weight loss in the SOC (-1.4kg ±3.1) and a weight increase in the STN-DBS group (5.4kg ±4.7). Differences of weight were statistically different between, LCIG and STN-DBS (P<0.001), LCIG and SOC (P=0.002) and STN-DBS and SOC (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows a significant weight reduction after starting LCIG infusion compared to the other groups. Weight loss should be closely monitored in patients treated with LCIG.