Two Parkinson's warning signs that can appear 'up to five years' before diagnosis
Parkinson's disease is a debilitating neurological condition that primarily affects the muscles and skeletal system - but it can exhibit other signs that are lesser known.
In fact, research indicates that symptoms may appear in people before they are diagnosed, with one found to impact our hearing. A previous study found that early signs of Parkinson's disease may include hearing loss and epilepsy.
Published in JAMA Neurology in 2022, the research highlights symptoms that could appear years before an official diagnosis is made. This pioneering UK study delved into the neurodegenerative disorder within a diverse population group.
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It aimed for a comprehensive understanding of its impact on different individuals. The findings, made by Queen Mary University of London, indicate that ethnicity and socio-economic status do not influence the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease.
The team scrutinised risk factors and symptoms prior to diagnosis by examining medical records from over one million East London residents from 1990 to 2018.
East London's data provided a snapshot of a varied community marked by "high socioeconomic deprivation". In this area, approximately 45 per cent of the population are Black, South Asian, mixed, or from other ethnic backgrounds.
The study also notably revealed an increase risk of Parkinson's disease later in life for those with epilepsy.
While the possibility of drug-induced Parkinson's was not dismissed, previous case reports from 2016 have also noted a connection between Parkinson's and epilepsy.
This could be a precursor to a Parkinson's diagnosis, or it may occur where epilepsy develops after the diagnosis. The study suggests that hearing loss might also be an early indicator, manifesting up to five years before a Parkinson's diagnosis.
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Cristina Simonet, MD, the lead author of the study, stated: "Our results uncovered novel risk factors and early symptoms: epilepsy and hearing loss.
"It's important that primary care practitioners are aware of these links and understand how early the symptoms of Parkinson's can appear, so that patients can get a timely diagnosis," she added.
Researchers highlighted the need for further analysis regarding hearing loss and its connection to Parkinson's disease.
Experts proposed that hearing loss might be part of the sensory processing impairment often associated with the development of Parkinson's disease.
According to the researchers, sensory impairment presents itself in various ways in different patients - through sight, hearing or even sense of smell.
Elsewhere, the study indicated new patterns within the well-known symptoms of Parkinson's. Tremors, a common symptom of the disease, were found to appear as many as ten years prior to diagnosis, becoming more frequent in the two years leading up to diagnosis.
Memory issues, the most frequently reported non-motor symptom of Parkinson's, were discovered to emerge up to five years before an official diagnosis.
The study also identified links between Parkinson's and low blood pressure, high blood pressure and type two diabetes. The ailment was also positively linked with pre-diagnostic signs and symptoms including constipation, depression and erectile dysfunction.
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