Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are common diseases that affect an aging population. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have looked into the link between diabetes and the risk of Parkinson’s disease, but the findings have been mixed.
According to Queen Mary University of London research, there is convincing evidence that type 2 diabetes is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. The same study discovered evidence that type 2 diabetes may contribute to faster disease progression in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment with drugs already approved for type 2 diabetes may lower the risk and slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Screening for and treatment of type 2 diabetes in Parkinson’s disease patients may be beneficial.
Type 2 diabetes is not only associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but it’s also associated with an accelerated progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
New studies using both observational and genetic data have found “convincing evidence” that type 2 diabetes is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. “The fact that we see the same effects in both types of analysis separately makes it more likely that these results are real — that type 2 diabetes really is a driver of Parkinson’s disease risk,” said Alastair Noyce, PhD, senior author of the new studies.
Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have yielded contradictory findings regarding the relationship between diabetes and the risk of Parkinson’s disease. This new study, published in the Movement Disorders Journal, used meta-analysis of observational data and meta-analysis of genetic data to assess the effect of type 2 diabetes on Parkinson’s disease risk and progression.
Pooled effect estimates from the observational part of the study showed that T2D was associated with an increased risk of PD (OR, 1.21; 95 percent CI, 1.07-1.36), and there was some evidence that T2D was associated with faster progression of motor symptoms (standardised mean difference [SMD], 0.55; 95 percent CI, 0.39-0.72) and cognitive decline (SMD, 0.92; 95 percent CI, 1.50 to 0.34).
They also discovered evidence for a causal effect of diabetes on PD risk (inverse-variance weighted method [IVW] OR, 1.08; 95 percent CI, 1.02-1.14; P=.010), as well as some evidence for an effect on motor progression (IVW OR, 1.10; 95 percent CI, 1.01-1.20; P=.032) but not on cognitive progression.
Dr. Alastair Noyce of Queen Mary University of London, the corresponding author, stated: “This study combines findings from numerous other studies to provide compelling evidence that type 2 diabetes affects not only Parkinson’s risk, but also Parkinson’s progression. There are numerous treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes, including prevention strategies, that could be repurposed for Parkinson’s disease treatment.”
According to Queen Mary University of London research, there is convincing evidence that type 2 diabetes is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
