Parkinson's - movement prevents

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MunichShaky hands, slow movements, muscle stiffness - Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in Germany. However, the cause of the disease has not yet been fully clarified. This is why it is so difficult to specifically prevent Parkinson's disease. However, Swedish researchers have now found evidence that moderate everyday activities significantly reduce the risk of Parkinson's.

Physical activity is half the battle when it comes to staying healthy. Exercise is important in the fight against diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and the like. A Swedish team of scientists led by Karin Werdenefeldt from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm showed that an active life can also prevent neurological diseases such as Parkinson's.

Everyday tasks in sight

As part of their research, Werdenefeldt and colleagues evaluated the data from 43,000 Swedes who were participants in a large health study. All of them had given information about their physical activity - both in relation to everyday tasks and in connection with sport. The men and women were on average 50.3 years old at the start of the study. After an observation period of 12.6 years, the researchers looked at which of the 43,000 previously healthy participants had developed Parkinson's. This was the case for 286 people.

More exercise, less risk

Those who moved normally for more than six hours a day - for example doing housework, walking to work or doing recreational sports - had a significantly lower risk of the disease. Compared to participants who moved less than two hours a day, their probability of illness decreased by 43 percent.

Creeping illness

Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressing neurological disorder. The cause is a deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which disrupts normal body movements. Drug treatment of the disease now enables many sufferers to get their symptoms under control. (jb)

Source: Werdenefeldt K. et al .: “Physical activity and risk of Parkinson's disease in the Swedish National March Cohort”; Brain. 11/20/2014.

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