What Increases Parkinson’s Risk?

8 Risk Factors of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder where patients experience tremors, rigidity, and slowed movement. It primarily affects the central nervous system and occurs due to the loss of nerve cells responsible for producing dopamine, which is essential for smooth and coordinated body movements.

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that presently affect millions of people across India. Parkinson’s disease involves a small, dark-tinged portion of the brain called the substantia nigra. This is where you produce most of the dopamine your brain uses. Dopamine is the chemical messenger that transmits messages between nerves that control muscle movements as well as those involved in the brain’s pleasure and reward centres. While some neuronal loss occurs with normal aging, in Parkinson's disease, the cells in the substantia nigra degenerate and die at a significantly accelerated rate, leading to the characteristic symptoms.

Key Risk Factors of Parkinson's Disease

Genetic and environmental factors play a crucial role in causing this disease. Here is a list of factors that are responsible for the same:

1. Age

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease are often visible in old age, i.e. by the age of 60 or above. This is due to the natural decline of brain cells with ageing. However, in some individuals, symptoms may appear earlier, which is known as early-onset Parkinson’s disease. While ageing remains a major risk factor, genetics and environmental triggers can also contribute to the early development of the condition.

2. Sex

Men are approximately 1.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women. This increased risk may be linked to hormonal differences, such as lower oestrogen levels, and structural variations in the brain that affect dopamine production, which plays a crucial role in controlling movement.    

3. Genetics of Family

About 10% to 15% of cases of Parkinson's are due to genetic factors, as per the Parkinson's Foundation. Certain genes are responsible for carrying a risk of developing Parkinson's. However, they do not seem to showcase any probable symptoms. One such gene is GBA, which encodes the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, and mutations in this gene increase Parkinson’s risk.     

4. Environmental Triggers

Another trigger is the toxins in the environment that expose individuals to developing Parkinson's. Exposure to environmental toxins, such as pesticides (like paraquat) and industrial solvents, has been associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.   

5. Head Trauma

TBI (also traumatic brain injury) is one of the reasons for developing Parkinson's disease. There are multiple similarities between the brain graph of a brain having TBI and one having Parkinson’s, such as metabolism, inflammation, and protein aggregation.  

6. Medication

There are certain medications under which symptoms of Parkinson’s develop, drug-induced Parkinson’s. However, these symptoms are usually reversible and tend to resolve after discontinuing the medication. Here is a list of such drugs that can induce Parkinson's:

• Fluphenazine, Pimozide, and Haloperidol (Anti-nausea medications)
• Droperidol, Chlorpromazine, and Promethazine (Antipsychotics)
• Tetrabenazine, Valbenazine, and Deutetrabenazine (Prescription drugs that treat hyperkinetic movement disorder)

7. Smoking

As per a 2017 study, the risk of Parkinson's is low in people who have exposure to nicotine. However, this is not to be perceived as a benefit of smoking because other health issues that smoking causes can outweigh any advantage.

8. Exposure to Toxins

Ongoing exposure to specific herbicides and pesticides is considered a significant environmental risk factor that can increase the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease.

Complications

People with Parkinson’s disease might have other complications that can be treatable. These may include:

• Emotional changes and depression: Some people may experience mood changes such as irritability, anxiety, or depression early in the course of the disease. They also may have depression and anxiety. Medicines (Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications) and other treatment (psychotherapy) can help improve these symptoms.
• Sleep problems and sleep disorders: You might wakeup frequently during night, have nightmares, and remain asleep during day time.
• Trouble Thinking clearly: Parkinson’s disease can impact people’s memory, language and reasoning skills. The disease can also result in dementia or other medical conditions that impact your thinking. These complications generally occur later in Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive symptoms and dementia are managed differently from motor symptoms. While standard Parkinson's medications often do not help and can sometimes worsen cognition, other drugs specifically designed for dementia may be prescribed.
• Trouble swallowing and chewing: Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) can develop and worsen over the course of the disease, affecting the muscles in the mouth and throat. This results in difficulty in swallowing and chewing which can lead to malnutrition. In case, food or saliva collects in the mouth, it can cause choking or drooling.

Prevention of Parkinson's Disease

The knowledge of such factors that cause Parkinson's helps in early diagnosis because there is still research going on to identify accurate reasons that cause this disease. Here are certain precautions that one can take to keep this disease at bay:

• Being physically active through exercise, yoga, Zumba and so on.
• Some studies find that low to moderate alcohol intake may slightly lower Parkinson’s risk, but researchers report mixed results. Experts discourage heavy drinking as it worsens symptoms and affects medications.
• Avoid staying in areas that have high exposure to toxic environmental factors.
• Having coffee or tea that contains caffeine helps in reducing the chances of developing Parkinson's.
• Some studies suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen may reduce Parkinson’s risk, but more research is needed to confirm this link.

Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Some of the early signs of this disease that are noticeable immediately are mostly movement-related symptoms:

• Slower Movements: Slowed movements (bradykinesia) are among the most common early signs of Parkinson’s disease. People may feel muscle weakness, although actual muscle strength remains intact — the problem lies in controlling movement.
• Tremors: In this symptom, muscles tend to shake rhythmically even when not in use. In about 80% of Parkinson's cases, patients tend to experience tremors.
• Having an unstable posture: Postural instability may develop, causing shortened steps, reduced arm swing while walking, and a tendency to shuffle.

It is a chronic disorder, the definitive cause of which is still a matter of further investigation by researchers. Early signs of Parkinson's are key, and consultation with an expert is crucial. While a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the risk or delay the onset of symptoms, there is currently no known way to completely prevent Parkinson’s disease.

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