Reduced Risk of Parkinson’s Disease After Heart Attack-Consumer Health News

Friday, February 18, 2022 (HealthDay News)-New studies suggest that survivors of a heart attack may have extraordinary benefits over others: develop Parkinson’s disease The risk is slightly lower.

Researchers have found that survivors are 20% less likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the next 20 years compared to similar people who have never had a heart attack.

Big note: Survey results Do not prove a true “protection” effect. And even so, no one would insist on letting go of your heart health to prevent Parkinson’s disease.

“This is an epidemiological study and the cause and effect cannot be proven,” said James Beck, chief scientific officer of the nonprofit Parkinson’s Foundation.

According to Beck, who was not involved in the study, there are many possible reasons why a heart attack may be associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease.

In addition, he said the risk reduction was very small.

Survey Results-Released on February 16th Journal of the American Heart Association -Adds evidence that certain risk factors for heart disease, including smoking and high cholesterol, are paradoxically associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, nearly one million people are affected in the United States.

It is a brain disorder that destroys or nullifies cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps regulate motor and emotional responses, over time.

The most visible symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are those related to movement-trembling, stiffness in the limbs, coordination problems-but the effects are widespread, including depression, nervousness, memory and thinking problems. ..

“We still don’t know what causes PD, why it progresses, or how to stop it,” Beck said.

However, there are some known risk factors for this disease. Elderly people are one of them, as are certain environmental factors, such as a history of head injuries and work exposure to pesticides and heavy metals.

“But most people exposed to these exposures do not develop Parkinson’s disease,” Beck pointed out.

In general, he suspects that the disease may result from a complex interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors.

With respect to protective factors, some studies suggest that regular exercise and a healthy diet (such as a traditional Mediterranean diet) may be associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Next, there are studies that have yielded more mysterious results. Some studies have linked certain risk factors for heart disease and stroke (smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes) to a reduced chance of developing Parkinson’s disease.

According to Dr. Jens Sandbol, Principal Investigator at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, these findings may help explain the current findings.

His team used the Danish National Register to identify about 182,000 people who had their first heart attack between 1995 and 2016. They compared more than 900,000 patients of age-gender matching but no history of heart attack.

During the 21-year study period, 0.9% of survivors of a heart attack developed Parkinson’s disease. An additional 0.1% was diagnosed with secondary parkinsonism. Parkinson’s-like symptoms are caused by other causes, such as certain medications.

After examining other factors, including a variety of medical conditions, researchers found that survivors of a heart attack were 20% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than the comparative group.

Similarly, survivors had a 28% lower risk of secondary Parkinsonism.

Upon entering the study, the researchers did not know what they would find. In a previous study, Sundbøll in a news release in the journal showed that survivors of a heart attack have an increased risk of certain other brain disorders, including forms of dementia caused by stroke and impaired blood flow to the brain. Said that.

Current findings suggest that the risk of Parkinson’s disease “at least does not increase” after a heart attack, he said.

Beck said relationship Between Heart health and Parkinson’s disease “It remains unresolved.”

Some studies suggest protection from things like smoking and high cholesterol, but they keep the “chicken or the egg first” question open, he said.

Parkinson’s disease has a long “precursor” stage, Beck explained. During this period, people may show certain symptoms of the disease, but they have not yet fully manifested.

And, for example, there is evidence that cholesterol levels may drop during that early stage. It may appear that higher cholesterol is protective against Parkinson’s disease.

Similarly, according to Beck, the relationship between smoking and reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease may not reflect the effects of smoking. One theory is that people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease are less likely to become addicted, probably due to the loss of dopamine.

“Other things we don’t yet understand may be happening here,” Beck said. “The bottom line is that the brain is incredibly complex.”

For more information

The outline of the Parkinson’s Foundation is as follows. Parkinson’s disease..

Source: Dr. James Beck, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation, New York City. Journal of the American Heart AssociationOnline Survey and News Release, February 16, 2022