A recent study by UCL researchers reveals that individuals over 50 with anxiety are twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to those without anxiety. The study utilized UK primary care data to track Parkinson’s-related symptoms and adjusted for various demographic and health factors. Key findings include identifying anxiety-related symptoms as significant risk factors for Parkinson’s, which may help in the early detection and treatment of the disease.
Credit: SciTechDaily.com A new study found that individuals over 50 with newly developed anxiety have a doubled risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, highlighting the importance of early detection and potential treatment pathways. A new study by University College London (UCL) researchers, published in the British Journal of General Practice , reveals that people over the age of 50 who have recently developed anxiety are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s compared to those without anxiety.
The study investigated the connection between the onset of anxiety and the subsequent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The team used UK primary care data between 2008 and 2018 and assessed 109,435 patients who had developed anxiety after the age of 50 and compared them to 878,256 matched controls who did not have anxiety. They then tracked the presence of Parkinson’s features — such as sleep problems, depression, tremors, and balance impairment — from the point of their anxiety diagno.