Is Parkinson's disease inherited? This issue has worried more than one generation of doctors. This is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system in the world. The severity of the course is due to the rapid progression of the disease; the middle and older generations are exposed to it.
Parkinson's disease often manifests itself in later life
Compared to European and North American countries, pathology is diagnosed less frequently in Russia. The indicator is 8-10% of the total population. However, there is a direct relationship with life expectancy and recently the number of cases has been growing. In addition, the onset of Parkinson's now begins at a younger age of 45-50 years.
Therapy for this disease is lifelong; depending on the development of the pathology, the treatment regimen is selected and adjusted individually for each patient. Treatment should be carried out by a parkinsologist, a geneticist, and in his absence, a neurologist.
Characteristics of the disease
The disease is named after the English scientist James Parkinson, who studied disorders of the central nervous system in the second half of the 19th century. Parkinson's disease is pronounced and has a chronic course.
Patients with this diagnosis experience severe tremors of the upper extremities, and their movements slow down. The mechanism of development of Parkinson's disease is based on the gradual death of nerve cells that are responsible for the production of a specific substance in the body - dopamine. It is responsible for transmitting basic signals in the brain centers.
It is worth noting that the disease is more often diagnosed among men over the age of 55. The true causes of the development of the pathology have not yet been established, but many scientists claim that it is inherited.
What should you avoid and how to treat parkinsonism?
If you know for sure that you have poor heredity for Parkinson's disease, you should take a number of measures to prevent the disease from developing in old age. Avoid all kinds of injuries, consult a doctor promptly for help if problems arise with the blood vessels of the brain. Avoid poisoning, intoxication, and contact with active chemicals and toxic substances.
If your activity is related to hazardous production, refuse this work and give preference to safer work. It is important for women to control estrogen levels, since as it decreases, the risk of developing the disease increases.
Get a blood test for homocysteine (an amino acid) every year. Its increase in the body can lead to parkinsonism. The amount of this substance in the blood is reduced by taking B vitamins. Folic acid (B9) and B12 are especially important. Include nuts, sunflower oil and sunflower seeds, soybeans, sour milk, wheat porridge, olives and olive oil and flax in your diet. Coffee in the morning is beneficial for such people. Recently, there has been active development of a method of transplanting healthy cells into a patient that produce enough dopamine.
Risk factors
It has been scientifically proven that heavy smokers do not develop parkinsonism. Risk factors include:
- bad heredity;
- frequent viral infections;
- advanced age;
- atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels of the brain;
- skull injuries;
- long-term use of drugs that contain reserpine;
- taking narcotic substances;
- frequent worries and nervous tension;
- bad environment.
In humans, about 8-10% of nerve cells die every 10 years. Thus, with their gradual death, the work of individual brain centers is disrupted, which leads to Parkinson's disease.
Scientists have proven that the disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. That is, if in each generation there is at least one patient with deformative disorders in brain cells, then the risks of transmission increase significantly. Other studies show that parkinsonism is passed on across generations.
Starting a pathological process
Parkinson's disease is a genetic disease, the percentage of inherited genes is 90%.
After changes in the cerebral cortex through the blood vessels, the genetically modified cells affect the nerve endings. Muscle paresthesia and tremors in the limbs begin. Due to impaired dopamine synthesis, a person reacts inadequately to emotional shocks. Constant nervous overexcitation occurs, and it is difficult for the patient to control himself in unpleasant situations.
Main causes and symptoms of disorders
To date, the true causes of Parkinson's development are unknown. Scientists are inclined to believe that this disease is exclusively hereditary. The main signs of the disease are:
- severe tremor of the limbs, which reaches the tips of the fingers;
- increased trembling due to nervous tension or anxiety;
- appearance of stoop;
- partial memory loss;
- deterioration of mental activity;
- increased salivation and sweating.
With further progression, the patient becomes depressed, experiences frequent hallucinations and sleep problems.
Unfortunately, Parkinson's disease has no cure, but taking certain medications can significantly improve a person's condition. With a severe lack of dopamine, the patient becomes inadequate and requires constant stay in a specialized medical center.
Scientists' research on Parkinson's disease
Research into whether Parkinson's disease can be inherited is ongoing. Most evidence indicates that the pathology is transmitted mainly genetically.
This disease is considered multifactorial , that is, with genetic disorders and exposure to other negative factors, the risk of passing Parkinson's from generation to generation increases.
Today it has become possible to identify predisposition to the disease in the fetus. To do this, special tests are used at a woman’s 12th week of pregnancy. That is, if there are cases of Parkinson’s disease in the family, then to be on the safe side it is better to do such a test and make sure there are no chromosomal abnormalities.
Studies by other scientists have shown that hereditary transmission of the disease occurs in only 5% of cases. Recently, more and more patients with this diagnosis are being recorded at the age of 40-45 years. This is due not only to the hereditary factor, but also to the effect of negative environmental conditions (poor ecology, toxic substances, etc.).
It has been scientifically proven that people who work in hazardous conditions suffer from parkinsonism several times more often. This is due to the negative effect of toxic substances on brain cells.
This disease occurs less frequently in women than in men. This is due to the fact that with the onset of menopause, the body begins to produce a large amount of the sex hormone estrogen, which is considered a catalyst for negative environmental factors.
Studies have shown that in patients who have undergone surgery to remove both ovaries, the risk of developing Parkinson's increases several times. The same applies to long-term use of oral contraceptives.
It is worth noting that in young people the disease is hidden and doctors often make an incorrect diagnosis (for example, muscle and joint pain is often mistaken for arthritis). Therefore, parkinsonism only progresses over time and carries with it serious consequences. If there is a hereditary predisposition, it is very important to undergo comprehensive diagnostics in a timely manner, which will help to promptly identify degenerative disorders.
Thus, scientists have concluded that Parkinson's is largely inherited. In patients with a genetic predisposition, degenerative changes occur in brain cells, and under the influence of negative factors these processes are accelerated.
Who gets sick more often?
Men are more likely to suffer from Parkinson's disease than women
Nature has taken care of women, protecting them from many hormonal diseases. Before the onset of menopause, the female body contains a sufficient amount of estrogens. The likelihood of developing Parkinson's increases after the onset of menopause and in the case of surgery to remove the ovaries.
The risk of the disease is higher in women taking hormone replacement therapy for a long time, with constant oral contraception.
Diagnosis and treatment
When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, it is recommended to immediately contact a neurologist. He will conduct an external examination and prescribe the necessary types of studies (MRI, ultrasound, etc.). Parkinson's disease cannot be cured; the patient is prescribed a set of medications that help alleviate his condition.
Most often, people with this diagnosis become disabled. They have impaired coordination of movements, they lose the ability to move independently and perform the most primitive tasks.
Prevention
Since the disease is inherited in most cases, people with a genetic predisposition need to take timely preventive measures. There are no universal remedies, each case is individual, but scientists have identified the basic requirements that help prevent the development of this disease:
- Proper nutrition . It is necessary to enrich your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, and exclude fatty and spicy foods. It is very important to monitor weight gain, since obesity leads to the development of vascular atherosclerosis, and this increases the risk of acquiring parkinsonism.
- Moderate physical activity . You need to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air, this will help enrich the brain with oxygen and improve blood circulation.
- Maximum mental load . Experts say that older people need to solve crosswords and various puzzles more often, thus not only training their memory, but also improving mental activity.
- Strengthening the immune system . The less often a person suffers from viral infections, the lower the risk of developing Parkinson's.
In addition, it is recommended to undergo regular examinations with a doctor and undergo the necessary tests. By following simple rules, you can significantly reduce the risk of developing parkinsonism.
Parkinson's disease is considered hereditary and is passed on from generation to generation. Most often, it affects men and people whose professions are associated with negative factors (chemical production, etc.). The disease is incurable; taking medications can only alleviate the patient’s condition. In most cases, people with Parkinson's disease become disabled.
Brain injury
Even the mildest single brain injury can increase the likelihood of developing neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, as American doctors have repeatedly stated. Neurologists trace the relationship between any concussion and the occurrence of senile dementia, based on a study of 300 thousand older Americans over 12 years. Data showed that when patients suffer brain injuries, they develop parkinsonism in 71% of all cases of the disease. Moreover, out of 300 thousand case histories, half contained records of tuberculosis incidence.
Doctors noted that when suffering a moderate concussion, the risk of developing pathology is about 56%, and when suffering a concussion along with tuberculosis - 83%. Experts suggest that a concussion reduces the resistance of this organ to the factors of aging. Along with mechanical concussion, depressive states also have a negative impact on the stability of the human brain, which has been proven by Canadian scientists.
