The effectiveness of creatine treatment for Parkinson’s disease: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of creatine in treating Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been conclusively determined. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to address this issue. METHODS The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED, EMBASE, and other databases were searched, and outcomes measured by the Total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Schwab & England Scale were analyzed. RESULTS Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected, and 1339 participants were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences between the control and treatment groups in the total, mental, activities of daily living (ADL), or motor UPDRS scores, but an improvement in Schwab & England Scale scores was observed. CONCLUSIONS Creatine has no observed benefit in PD patients, although more correlated studies are still needed.