Parkinson's study links disease to common health issue in over-50s

Researchers have reported a new link between anxiety and other health issues connected to a potentially higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The condition has gained increasing attention over recent years with stars like Michael J Fox and Ozzy Osbourne being candid about their diagnosis and symptoms, which usually centers around movement issues ranging from fine motor skills to overall mobility.

However, the progressive condition also causes some non-movement-related issues such as anxiety, depression and a loss of smell. The new study published in the British Journal of General Practice noted that people who developed anxiety after the age of 50 had an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s.

The study examined health data of 109,435 people in the UK who had developed anxiety after the age of 50 compared to a control group of 878,526 people without anxiety and reported that those in the former group were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s. Researchers found that from the time of the anxiety diagnosis until one year before the Parkinson’s diagnosis, evaluating the data for features of the condition such as tremors and balance impairment.

Dr. Daniel Truong, a neurologist and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, noted that the research showed “compelling evidence linking anxiety to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in individuals over 50".

He told Medical News Today that the findings could suggest anxiety as a new early indicator of Parkinson’s which would allow primary care doctors to play a role in the diagnosis by keeping a keen eye on people over the age of 50 developing anxiety-related conditions. Additionally, the connection can help “great enhance patient care” throughout their diagnosis journey by allowing for proactive monitoring and comprehensive management”.

Other risk factors for Parkinson’s highlighted in the study included:

• Depression

• Sleep disturbance

• Fatigue

• Cognitive impairment

• Hypotension

• Tremor

• Rigidity

• Balance impairment

• Constipation

However, the study has also garnered some sceptics as Dr. Clifford Segil, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California noted he would “never use anxiety as a diagnostic criterion”. He noted that Parkinson’s is “not a mood disorder” and the anxiety “might be a by-product of the diagnosis”.