Parameters such as blood pressure, hematocrit or serum cholesterol level can be good indicators for early detection of the signs of Parkinson’s disease.
- The warning signs of Parkinson’s disease can be seen on health checkups long before the motor problems.
- Blood pressure, serum cholesterol or hematocrit are very good indicators for Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers from Nagoya University (Japan) have found that blood pressure, hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells in the blood) and serum cholesterol levels change in patients with Parkinson’s disease, and this , well before the motor manifestations. The results of their study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Signs detectable years before motor symptoms
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological condition in the world after Alzheimer’s disease. It is caused by a deficiency of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates body movement. Dopamine receptors, which are supposed to interact with dopamine, are affected and degenerate, causing tremors, stiffness and slowness in movement. Previous studies also report non-motor symptoms, such as constipation, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, impaired sense of smell and depression, which occur in patients with Parkinson’s disease 10 20 years before the onset of motor symptoms.
Based on these studies, the Nagoya researchers suggest that Parkinson’s disease develops before the onset of characteristic motor symptoms, implying that screening is possible. “If we can detect biological changes in patients’ bodies long before motor symptoms appear, we can start medical treatments at an early stage.”, underlines Masahisa Katsuno, professor at the school of medicine of the university of Nagoya.
Parameters different from those of healthy people
For this study, the researchers analyzed data from health check-ups of 22 men and 23 women with Parkinson’s disease whose results of check-ups before the onset of motor symptoms were also available. For comparison, the researchers also used data from 60 healthy women and men who underwent examinations for at least four years.
By counting the data from each volunteer, the researchers found that in the men, weight, body mass index, hematocrit, total cholesterol and low density cholesterol levels, and serum creatinine levels were lower than those of healthy men. In women, levels of blood pressure and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), an enzyme found in muscles and certain organs like the brain, were higher, while values for other elements were lower than in women. in good health.
“In this study, we found that blood pressure, hematocrit and serum cholesterol levels are potential biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease before the onset of its motor symptoms.decrypts Masahisa Katsuno. This discovery indicates that general health check-ups can help detect early signs of the development of Parkinson’s disease.”
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