A recent study revealed that people suffering from metabolic syndrome are at a 40% higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects motor neurons and may aggravate over time.
Metabolic syndrome is a set of conditions, including hyperglycemia, elevated blood pressure, excess belly fat, and uncontrolled cholesterol, which significantly contributes to increasing the risk of cardiac events, diabetes, and stroke.
For the study, researchers assessed data from more than 467,000 UK Biobank participants after a median of 15 years.
Among the participants, up to 38% of patients were already suffering from metabolic syndrome, and during follow-up, over 3,200 developed Parkinson’s.
Results indicated that people with metabolic syndrome were about 40% increased risk of developing the disease than those without the condition.
An enlarged meta-analysis of nearly 25 million people, up to 98,500 Parkinson’s cases discovered a 29% increased risk.
Moreover, researchers found a significantly higher risk among those with metabolic syndrome and a genetic predisposition.
Researchers further revealed that increased blood pressure and cholesterol may impair blood vessels and affect dopamine production.
Though the study reveals only a link, experts state controlling metabolic health may minimise Parkinson’s risk.
