Parkinson Secrets
Expert Tips and Interviews on Living with Parkinson's Disease
ParkinsonSecret_Header_01.jpg

Hot Topics in Parkinson’s Disease

Michael Okun Indu Subramanian Jonny Acheson

 

The "new" environmental agenda for Parkinson's disease

We have been talking about Parkinson’s and the environment for long enough. It is time to craft and execute a “new” environmental agenda.

Drs De Miranda, Goldman, Miller, Greenamyre and Dorsey have published an important paper on a potential new Parkinson’s environmental agenda. Dr.Dorsey you may recognize as one of the leading advocates for the Parkinson’s environmental agenda following publication of his multi-author book, Ending Parkinson’s. We will in this review the key elements of “the agenda” in this week’s blog.

The premise for the Parkinson’s environmental agenda:

  • Aging populations will be increasingly vulnerable to developing PD.

  • Environmental contamination contributes to PD risk.

  • The Global burden of PD is increasing.

  • There is a lack of preventative drugs

  • Why not make environmental changes?

  • Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing brain disease.

Genetics plus environment

Parkinson’s disease has multiple environmental and genetic influences. We lack a therapy to address the genetics at this time. However, with the environmental contaminants (pesticides, metals, industrial chemicals) we have an opportunity to intervene.

Build on Research

Many studies on PD and the environment are now pointing in the same direction especially with respect to the risks associated with pesticides and chemicals.

There are 10 areas we should focus on for the

Parkinson’s environmental agenda:

1- Examine environmentally relevant concentrations and routes of exposure.

2- Model combined environmental exposures.

3- Consider sex as a biological variable in toxicant exposure.

4- Utilize expansive new tools to consider gene environment interactions.

5- Incorporate the microbiome and diet into models of neurotoxicity.

6- Measure Parkinson’s disease incidence and its change globally.

7- Develop biological markers of exposure and identify them during the prodromal phase of PD.

8- Perform whole body autopsies to assess Parkinson’s as a full body disease.

9- Evaluate the relationship between environmental and genetic risk factors.

10- Include populations with high exposure burden.

The authors advocate for increasing investment and translating research into public policy and action.

Why have an environmental agenda for Parkinson’s

disease?

  • Society has prevented diseases in the past, and we can prevent some contributors to Parkinson’s.

  • The prevention agenda “to investigate and address the environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease is an imperfect and incomplete beginning.”

  • We must increase our investment “in slowing and eventually reversing the rise of Parkinson’s. Our health and those of future generations depend on it.”

To read more books and articles by Michael S. Okun MD check on Twitter @MichaelOkun and these websites with blogs and information on his books and http://parkinsonsecrets.com/ #Livingwith Parkinson’s #EndingPD #Parkinsonsecrets #LessonsFromTheBedside

He also serves as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation.

To see more on Dr. Indu Subramanian she does live interviews of experts in Parkinson’s for the PMD Alliance.

The blog artist is Jonny Acheson. 

Michael Okun