2023-10-04 18:46:00
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Loneliness can make many feel desolate, but new research suggests it can also make people vulnerable to Parkinson’s disease.
Among more than 490,000 people registered with the UK Biobank (a research project that gathers medical and genetic information from thousands of volunteers in the United Kingdom), who were followed for up to 15 years, loneliness appeared to increase the chances of a Parkinson’s diagnosis. by 37%. “The association between loneliness and the onset of Parkinson’s disease was not due to shared genetic, clinical or behavioral risk factors,” said lead researcher Angelina Sutin, a professor in the department of behavioral sciences and social medicine at Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee. Although this study cannot prove that loneliness causes Parkinson’s disease, there appears to be a connection, Sutin said. “We showed that there is an association between loneliness and development of Parkinson’s disease, not that loneliness causes Parkinson’s disease,” he emphasized. Sutin said loneliness has been identified as a significant public health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the World Health Organization. “This study adds to the body of evidence on the poor outcomes associated with loneliness, particularly neurodegenerative diseases,” he said. “Loneliness has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Current research indicates that it is also a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.” Several factors may be linked to why loneliness may increase the risk of develop Parkinson’s disease, Sutin suggested. “We found that behavioral and clinical pathways explain a small part of the association. The association might be due to other behavioral and clinical factors that we did not consider,” he added. “There might also be metabolic, inflammatory, neuronal and endocrine pathways.” Loneliness appears to be associated with poorer brain health, perhaps through increased inflammation or other neurodegenerative processes, and is not necessarily specific to Parkinson’s disease, Sutin said. “It may be that loneliness makes the brain more susceptible to neurodegeneration, which for some people might lead to Alzheimer’s disease and for others to Parkinson’s disease,” he explained. On the other hand, being socially connected can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. “We did not test this association in the current study, but yes, social connectedness is thought to be protective. More research is needed to address this question,” Sutin said. The report was published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Neurology.” We know that most people who feel lonely also live alone, which is increasingly the condition for many older people,” said Dr. Alessandro Di Rocco, system director of neurology, Parkinson’s and movement disorders at Northwell. Health in New York City. Dr. Di Rocco was not involved with the new study. Living alone can bring with it some unhealthy life choices, Di Rocco said. For example, many seniors who live alone may not be eating a healthy diet, but rather subsist on snacks, fast food, or other unhealthy options. They may also be less physically active.”Loneliness may not be good for the brain due to the lack of daily brain stimulation,” he added. “You may have the television on, you may have other sources (of stimulation), but the level of brain engagement may be decreased.” Loneliness may result in a greater sense of stress or psychological distress that can cause the brain to become more vulnerable, Di Rocco suggested. “Loneliness may not cause Parkinson’s, but to some extent it predisposes it. The predisposition has to do with the fact that the brain may not be able to defend itself from what is happening biologically, which can lead to development of Parkinson’s,” he said. Di Rocco noted that physical activity keeps the brain healthy and the same can be said for mental activity. “Physical activity helps slow the progression of the disease. We also know that intellectual engagement is beneficial for very similar way and decreases the likelihood that a person will develop cognitive problems,” he said. “For people who have cognitive problems, whether related to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or other disorders, being intellectually engaged is probably the best medication we have.” More information For more information on Parkinson’s disease, visit the National Institute on Parkinson’s Disease. US Aging SOURCES: Angelina Sutin, PhD, professor, department of behavioral sciences and social medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee; Alessandro Di Rocco, MD, system director, neurology, Parkinson’s and movement disorders, Northwell Health, New York City; JAMA Neurology, October 2, 2023, online.
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