A recent study published in the British Journal of General Practice has suggested that people over 50 with anxiety may be twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to their peers without anxiety. The study examined primary care data from the United Kingdom and found that out of a group of 109,435 individuals aged 50 and older who were diagnosed with their first episode of anxiety between 2008 and 2018, 331 patients developed Parkinson’s disease over the following decade.
Despite adjusting for age, lifestyle factors, mental illness, and other variables, individuals with anxiety were still found to be twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to those without an anxiety diagnosis. Furthermore, those who developed Parkinson’s were more likely to be male and in higher socioeconomic groups.
The study also identified several other factors associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease such as depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, cognitive impairment, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity, balance impairment and constipation. On the other hand, those with dizziness, shoulder pain and urinary and erectile problems were less likely to develop the condition.
Professor Anette Schrag at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and co-leader of the study emphasized the need for further research to better understand and treat Parkinson’s disease in its early stages particularly focusing on anxiety as an early indicator. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
