Parkinson’s disease remains poorly understood and difficult to treat. A new study reveals a potential new risk factor, hepatitis C.
Between 130 and 150 million people are chronic carriers of the hepatitis C virus worldwide. Transmitted through the blood, it can cause serious liver disease, and death from liver cancer or cirrhosis.
From now on, a new study published in Neurology and conducted in Taiwan on more than 200,000 individuals, highlights additional health risks, arguing that hepatitis C could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
To come to this conclusion, the researchers, led by Dr. Kao, analyzed medical data of people between 2000 and 2010, taken from a national health registry.
Almost 50,000 of these participants had hepatitis B and / or C, the rest, more than 199,000 people, were not affected by this disease. All were then followed for 12 years to detect any potential sign of Parkinson’s disease.
Risk increased by 30%
Among the hepatitis C patients, 120 of them developed Parkinson’s disease, compared to 1,060 of the non-hepatitis patients, many of whom took part in the study.
After evaluating these figures in light of other factors such as age, sex, or the presence of diabetes, the researchers conclude that participants, men or women, with hepatitis C, were 30% more at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than others.
Even people with hepatitis B, or both types B and C, had a lower likelihood of developing Parkinson’s, similar to people without the disease. An association that scientists were not yet able to explain.
In France, 175,000 people have Parkinson’s disease and around 10,000 new cases are detected each year. Treatments are not always effective today, the therapeutic management being complex and specific to each patient. In addition, the exact causes of the pathology are still very poorly understood.
Such a study represents new hope for patients by identifying a potential new risk factor, and guiding research a little better, for new drugs.
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