COVID-19 May Increase Risk of Parkinsons Disease

Jan, 2021 - By SMI

The researchers warned that Parkinson's rates may increase in the coming years, it will affect over 12 million individuals by 2040.

Parkinson's is a progressive nervous system disorder that causes stiffness or slowing of movement. Symptoms of the disease usually start slowly and worsen over time. As the disease evolves, people may have difficulty talking and walking. Over 10 million folks worldwide are living with the condition. Men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson's than women. Now, the research team from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health has warned of a future neurodegenerative disease that could be caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers suggest the novel coronavirus may increase an individual’s risk of developing Parkinson’s. The research describes the onset of Parkinson’s disease, triggered by a mosaic of events. To describe the onset of Parkinson’s, the researchers presented a concept named the dual-hit hypothesis. Moreover, the team points to several reports demonstrating the coronavirus a neurotropic virus, meaning it can penetrate brain tissue. This suggests that the virus (COVID-19) certainly has the potential to serve as a pathogenic primer to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. The team has also cited a decline from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 as evidence of a double-hypothesis.

The global Parkinson’s diagnoses had tripled after five years of the Spanish Flu pandemic. However, there is no evidence or suggestion, that the novel coronavirus causes Parkinson’s disease. The team warned that Parkinson's rates may increase in the coming years. Currently, Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest-growing neurological diseases across the world. According to new research, Parkinson’s will affect over 12 million individuals by 2040. As the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, infecting more than 32 million people across the globe, a slight increase in Parkinson's risk from the virus may have serious implications for many countries' health care systems. The research was published in September 2020 in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.