According to a recent article in NeurosScience News, one percent of individuals over the age of sixty are at risk for Parkinson’s disease. Patients are generally diagnosed at a late stage of the disease. Treatment currently involves addressing symptoms rather than the underlying disease. Therefore, a key priority has become early detection and developing drugs that, at a minimum, mitigate the disease.
The analysis, conducted between 1990 through February 6, 2018, included 1,055 patients who had Parkinson’s disease and 1,009,523 controls (people who did not have Parkinson’s). Data analysis followed.
Queen Mary University’s team noted that previous Parkinson’s studies focused on white, affluent populations. Minority groups and people living in socially deprived areas were conspicuously absent in Parkinson’s research. There was a definite need for more accurate representation.
About the Study
The new study, recently published in JAMA Neurology, is unique. It sets precedence by reviewing data from a substantially more diverse population. The study was conducted in East London from 1990 through 2018. East London is an area with the UK’s highest level of deprivation.
Compared to other areas in the UK, a disproportionate number of South Asian, Black, and other ethnic groups live in East London. Approximately 80% of patients in the study came from low-income households.
In the East London study, the researchers associated type 2 diabetes and hypertension with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. The team also found a higher number of complaints about memory problems than in previous studies.
The well-known symptoms associated with Parkinson’s are tremors and memory problems. It is now known that these symptoms can appear before diagnosis – as early as ten and five years respectively.
In this study, epilepsy and hearing loss were revealed as early symptoms of Parkinson’s. Previous research suggested this association, as epilepsy appeared more frequently in Parkinson’s patients than in the general population.
Cristina Simonet M.D., the lead author of the study, explained the study’s significance. Professor Simonet said that this is the first study of a substantially diverse population in the pre-diagnostic stage of Parkinson’s. She commented that until now, the minority ethnic population has been underrepresented in Parkinson’s research.
It is important for primary practitioners to be aware of early Parkinson’s symptoms in order to bring about early intervention. Tremors and other symptoms may appear five or ten years before diagnosis.
About the PREDICT-PD Research Study
A prior study, the PREDICT-PD study, began in 2014, It is the first study to address combined risk factors for Parkinson’s disease. PREDICT-PD’s ongoing research has already provided evidence that many symptoms of Parkinson’s occur years prior to diagnosis.
The research team’s goal is to identify, well before symptoms appear, those who are at high risk for Parkinson’s disease. The PREDICT-PD team hopes to enroll a total of ten thousand people between the ages of sixty to eighty from all backgrounds. Only people who do not have Parkinson’s are being enrolled. The participants will conduct a set of tests that screen for symptoms that may lead to a higher risk of Parkinson’s.
Shafaq’s Message
Shafaq Ali is a former East Londoner recently diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s. Shafaq is a member of a Parkinson’s equality steering group. His message is addressed to young Asians who may be affected by Parkinson’s in the future.
He commented that previous research failed to properly represent the community’s diversity. Shafaq said that the new research is addressing the way people from groups who were previously under-represented are now being included.
