Type 2 Diabetes Increases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life, according to an investigation published in Neurology. The magnitude of risk is greater in younger patients and in patients with complications from diabetes.

Analyzing a Nationwide Hospital Database, the researchers reviewed English national Hospital Episode Statistics and mortality data collected between 1999 and 2011 and created a cohort of 2,017,115 patients who had been admitted for hospital care with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

2,017,115 Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Used as a Reference

Participants with diabetes had a greater risk of a subsequent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease than patients in the reference cohort (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.32). In subgroup analyses, the researchers found that the risk was substantially higher among patients between ages 25 and 44 (adjusted HR, 3.81) and those with complicated diabetes (adjusted HR, 1.49). Genetic factors may exert a relatively greater effect on younger people, and this difference may account for the increased risk among younger participants with diabetes, said the authors.

The adjusted HR of Parkinson’s disease was 1.40 in patients with diabetes between ages 65 and 74 and 1.18 in those age 75 or older. “The association in elderly patients may be the consequence of disrupted insulin signaling secondary to additional lifestyle and environmental factors causing cumulative pathogenic brain changes,” said Dr. Warner and colleagues.

Neurology Reviews. 2018 July;26(7):19

It’s a wise idea to get annual blood work if you are over 40 to assess your health risks for diabetes as well as cancer and cardiovascular risks.

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