Can Your Prevent Parkinson’s Disease?

If you read Parkinson’s Disease−Defined, you know that it is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that impairs motor function due to the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. Parkinson’s symptoms include resting tremors, stiffness and rigidity, slow movement, and difficulty walking.

While there is no guaranteed way to prevent Parkinson’s disease, you can significantly reduce your odds by understanding the risk factors, which include:

Aging – Disease onset is typically age 60 and beyond.

Chronic stress – Stress contributes to inflammation and dopamine cell loss. While acute stress directly worsens motor symptoms in patients − tremors, freezing − chronic stress makes you a more likely target and facilitates disease onset.

Environmental Factors – Chronic exposure to pesticides, herbicides, solvents, and heavy metals − such as lead and mercury − increases risk.

Family history – Having a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with the disease doubles your risk.

Gender – Men are more 50% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women.

Genetics – Genetic factors are involved in 10-15% of cases.

Health conditions – Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain infections, such as Hepatitis C and H. pylori, have been linked to higher risk.

Inflammation – The exact trigger for this response remains unclear, however research suggests that it is inflammation driven, both in onset and progression, which implies that managing chronic stress and emphasizing healthy, anti-inflammatory foods could help.

Lifestyle factors – Rural living, drinking well water, and exposure to air pollution are also potential risk factors.

Medical history – Some research suggests that a history of melanoma may increase your Parkinson’s risk.

As you see, we cannot control all Parkinson’s disease risk factors, but there are still ways to minimize our chances of developing it. Next up, How to Reduce Your Risk of Parkinson’s Disease−Naturally.