“Parkinson’s” is a condition that affects the nervous system. The most common symptom is tremors, but it can also cause slowness, stiffness, walking and balance problems, and other non-movement issues such as depression, memory problems, and hallucinations. Those who follow Hollywood may remember that Parkinson's is the disease that the iconic actor, Michael J. Fox, disclosed having in 1998.
The condition afflicts nearly 1 million Americans, and that number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease next to Alzheimer’s. 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year, and 10 million people worldwide suffer from the progressive effects of this condition. It is 1.5 times more common in men than women. The combined costs of all expenses attributable to Parkinson’s, including social security payments and lost income, is estimated to be nearly $52 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Medication costs alone average $2,500 per person, and therapeutic surgery can cost up to $100,000.
The prevalence of Parkinson’s increases with age. Therefore, states with a more elderly population have a higher incidence than those with a younger population. Here is a brief video with some more information: https://www.parkinson.org/library/videos/statistics.
These statistics are alarming. So let's talk about prevention and intervention.
PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION
As you may have just heard in the video, researchers suspect multiple causes for Parkinson’s, which include both genetic and environmental factors. There is also a link between Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s as well as diabetes. Diabetes, as I have noted in previous articles and lectures, is the root cause of many disorders and conditions such as heart disease, and yes, even cancer.
Over the past 16 years, there have been several studies that evaluated both environmental and behavioral factors which have seemed to demonstrate modifying potentials for both the risk and subsequent development of Parkinson’s. These factors include the exposure to pesticides, the consumption of dairy products, a history of melanoma, and traumatic brain injury. Positive factors in this regard have included physical activity and the consumption of caffeine.
I ask you to consider how our Four Pillars of Health (Eat Right, Think Right, Move Right, and Sleep Right) philosophy fits into the concept of prevention and intervention of Parkinson’s
The Move Right component of this list seems to stand out not only as a prophylactic therapy for the onset as well as preventative treatment in slowing the progress of Parkinson’s. This therapy also applies to the onset and retardation of progression in the treatment of Alzheimer’s as well.
As far as our Sleep Right Pillar goes, it is interesting to note that this has been difficult to study over the years, partially due to the fact that most studies of this type start with animal studies and then may progress to human studies. However, this has also been difficult in part due to the fact that, to date, there have been no reported cases of Parkinson’s in the animal population. That being said, it has been shown that depression, fatigue, a reduced sense of smell, sleep disturbances, and cognitive deficits all cause what is known a “oxidative stress” on the body. Oxidative stress is defined as a disturbance in the balance between the production of free radicals and antioxidant defenses.
Think of the oxidative stress process as rust occurring within your body. Without enough of these antioxidant scavengers circulating around to clean up the oxidizing effects of the free radicals, we end up with damage to tissues including nerve tissue. So, the antioxidants are in fact potentially affected by poor sleep habits.
How about our Eat Right Pillar? Where does that fit into the equation? Numerous studies have been performed on this topic. I already mentioned dairy products, in particular milk, has been implicated as an increased risk factor for the onset of Parkinson’s. Alcoholic beverages may also be implicated as well. The protective substances appear to be poly-unsaturated fats, coffee tea, and uric acid.
Gender, as I mentioned, is a risk factor as well, since Parkinson’s is more common in men than women. There is also, like with many other conditions, a genetic risk factor as well.
But how about the Think Right Pillar? Could your mental attitude predispose you to developing Parkinson’s? Essentially what we are considering here is how your outlook on life effects the potential onset and progression of Parkinson’s. In other words, are you an optimist or a pessimist, and do you feel that you have control over your life?
In one such study, more optimism and less pessimism were associated with better mental health and overall quality of life in Parkinson’s patients. Also, a better locus of control (i.e., how strongly you believe that you have control over the situations and experiences that affect your life) resulted in less disability. The opposite was true as well in this study. Low optimism and high pessimism was associated with reduced quality of life in Parkinson’s.
So, I hope that you can now see why in my first sentence in this article I used parenthesis around the term “Parkinson’s Disease.” You see, there is not a single cause in my opinion for Parkinson’s from the available research. It is not like the common cold where there is a specific virus that causes the condition. No, in the case of Parkinson’s, just like in the case of Alzheimer’s there is no one cause. The causes are multifactorial and diverse. So, perhaps we need to change the way that we look at this condition, just as we need to change our perspective about other neurodegenerative diseases.
JOY’S AMAZING TALENT
I want to end with some research that is being done regarding an assertion of a woman in Scotland who claimed that she could smell Parkinson’s on somebody’s skin years before physical and mental symptoms began??? Sounds pretty unbelievable, but scientific evaluation can often separate fact from fiction in such a situation, and that appears to be the case here as well.
The woman’s name is Joy Milne. She is a Scottish woman who, decades ago, noticed her husband’s skin acquired what she considered a peculiar odor, which she insisted that he try to wash off. He however didn’t know what she was referring to, since he could not smell the odor.
Her husband, a doctor, began to demonstrate personality changes that began to cause marital issues. Over the years it was discovered that the cause of these changes was the gradual and insidious onset of Parkinson’s.
When this couple began attending the local Parkinson’s support group together, Joy noticed that she could smell the peculiar smell that she noticed on her husband years before on all of the other Parkinson’s patients.
Joy began reaching out to researchers about this phenomenon. Unfortunately, and honestly quite understandably, the scientists that she contacted brushed off her assertions as an unlikely, and unbelievable contention.
However, one researcher at the University of Edinburgh, Tilo Kunath, PhD, noted that there was research validating the fact that dogs could smell cancer on people, so he decided to explore Joy’s claim.
He began by having Joy sniff t-shirts worn by people of normal health and those who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Amazingly, she was able to identify the shirts belonging to people with Parkinson’s with only a single mistake. But, equally as amazing was the fact that the t-shirt that she misidentified belonged to a man who months later developed Parkinson’s. So, she was actually 100% right in this study.
But why could she recognize the “scent of Parkinson’s” with 100% accuracy? The next phase of the research was to focus on this unknown piece of the puzzle.
It turns out, once the researchers at both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester drilled down on possible causes to explain Joy’s seemingly amazing talent, they began to focus on a substance called sebum. Sebum is a waxy substance that the body uses to moisturize and protect the skin. It is secreted through the pores of the skin primarily in the forehead and upper back. These were the areas where Joy noticed the scent to be the most prevalent.
Interestingly, one of the signs of Parkinson’s is excessive production of sebum.
Another interesting fact that this research revealed was that Parkinson’s patients release compounds into the sebum that results from dysfunctional neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are the compounds that transmit nerve impulse from one nerve cell, or neuron, to another. When these chemical compounds break down, they release specific degradation compounds that are excreted from the body in the sebum. It appears that Joy had a talent for smelling these compounds in the sebum of those who were developing Parkinson’s but had not yet manifested noticeable symptoms as well as those who had already developed both the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Obviously more research needs to be done in this regard, but we must always remember never to disregard an assertion such as that of this woman. She obviously had an olfactory talent which may have been unique to her. Or perhaps we all possess that same talent but simply have not developed it fully. Hopefully, further research will help to identify the why’s of Joy’s ability to sniff out Parkinson’s.
Until then, remember the 4 Pillars for they offer your best chance to live a longer, healthier life.
Footnote:
Good Sheperd Rehabilitation center (Allentown, PA) is offering a one-of-a-kind, non-contact exercise program in the Lehigh Valley that attacks Parkinson's disease at its vulnerable neurological points.
Called Rock Steady Boxing, the classes have proven that anyone, at any level of Parkinson’s, can lessen their symptoms and lead a healthier and happier life.
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The program was featured on WFMZ-TV in March 2022. You can watch the segment or read the transcript by clicking here.