The researchers conclude from this study that maintaining testosterone levels in men could help escape the disease.
” The sudden drop in testosterone levels – here by castration – is sufficient to cause the persistence of Parkinson’s disease in male mice, on the contrary, supplementation of testosterone in the form of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone reverses the symptoms of the disease, always in mice. ”, Explains Dr. Kalipada Pahan, lead author of the study.
Decreased testosterone level
“In men, testosterone levels are intimately coupled with many disease processes”Said Pahan. In general, in healthy men, testosterone levels are at their peak around age 30. It then drops by about one percent each year. However, testosterone levels can drop dramatically due to stress or sudden changes in other life events, which can make someone more vulnerable to Parkinson’s disease.
” Therefore, preserving testosterone in men can be an important step in becoming resistant to Parkinson’s disease. ”Said Pahan. “More research needs to be done to see how we could potentially target testosterone levels in human males in order to find a viable treatment,” Pahan said.
Parkinson’s disease affects approximately 1.2 million patients in the United States and Canada. Although 15% of patients are diagnosed before age 50, it is generally considered a disease of the elderly, affecting one in 100 people over the age of 60. This disease appears to be slightly more common in men than in women.