 Developed in Israel and launched in early 2005, Rasagiline (brand names Agilect or Azilect) is a potent MAO type-B inhibitor presently being used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and is currently under investigation for Alzheimer’s Disease. Similar to ‘smart drugs’ being used for these aging diseases, Rasagiline / Azilect enhances memory and improves learning mood, motivation and other age related symptoms of mental decline. It is the latest product in the fight against aging brain prevention from a neuro-protection angle. It is usually after an 80% loss of dopamine neurons that Parkinson's disease can be easily detected. There is a train of thought amongst some medical professionals that we would all develop Parkinson’s if we lived long enough. The decrease in dopamine is associated with neuronal cell death which increases with every decade we live. Selective MAO –B inhibitors like Deprenyl and Rasagiline / Azilect delay this process by reducing the damaging hydrogen peroxide which increases oxidative stress. Rasagiline / Azilect increases dopamine levels and protects already ailing dopamine neurons thus helping to restore movement and coordination in Parkinson patients whilst slowing their physical decline. Both Rasagiline / Azilect and Deprenyl are neuroprotective and stabilizers of mitochondrial membranes. Apoptosis is an active process of programmed cell-death induced by exposure to neurotoxins and oxidative stress and Rasagiline / Azilect inhibits such actions. Current evidence suggests that Rasagiline / Azilect may be even more effective than Deprenyl in saving and protecting dopamine nerve cells from the usual neurological damage as we age. It is thought that a low-dosage regimen of Rasagiline / Azilect may prevent or retard the onset of Parkinsonian symptoms, dementia and other age related declines. The leading researcher and expert professor on Rasagiline / Azilect speculates that in the future Rasagiline / Azilect will be used as a cardio protector as well as against neurodegenerative disease. Also, as yet it is clinically unproven, but it is felt that Rasagiline / Azilect could prove to be valuable in the fight against the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease due to its inhibiting properties with the formation of senile plaques of beta amyloid peptide. A recent article in The Lancet claimed that a study using Rasagiline / Azilect in combination with the commonly used levodopa was an effective, safe and simple treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. The long-term effects of Rasagiline / Azilect on human life-expectancy and longevity are presently unknown. Yet, since selegiline (Deprenyl) has increased both life-expectancy and maximum lifespan in animal trials, and has shown great results in humans, it could be a plausible assumption that Rasagiline Azilect with its superior metabolic profile might prove to be an even greater life-extension product. Like Deprenyl, Rasagiline Azilect might be a useful protective agent for those sufferers of seretonin impairment/damage from the misuse of MDMA (Ecstasy). There are great risks in taking any MAOI with MDMA so avoid MDMA altogether is probably the best advice for neuro-protection. The usual dose of Rasagiline Azilect is 1mg per day taken orally, with or without food with absorption in about 30 minutes. Rasagiline / Azilect is being used on its own in early onset Parkinson's disease, and as mentioned above in combination with levodopa in the latter stages of the disorder. There is some evidence that Rasagiline / Azilect can decrease the progression of the disease but thus far only in animal studies and not yet conclusively in controlled clinical trials of human subjects. Rasagiline / Azilect is typically well tolerated when taken at a low MAO-B selective dosage and typically has no adverse side-effects. At double the usual dosage of 1mg (i.e.2mg) Rasagiline / Azilect loses its selectivity for MAO type B and also inhibits MAO type A and it is felt that excessively high doses could be toxic. Rasagiline / Azilect should not be combined with other MAO inhibitors or SSRI’s. As always, please consult your medical professional before using such medications. | 
