Although Parkinson’s disease affects around 1%-2% of people over the age of 65, there is currently no cure. In our latest study, my colleagues and I have identified changes in blood that occur years before a Parkinson’s diagnosis. We found people who later developed Parkinson’s disease had fewer lymphocytes – a type of white blood cell. LymphocytesIn our first analysis of the data, we found several inflammatory markers were associated with a later diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. We found genetic evidence to support that lower lymphocyte count increases Parkinson’s disease risk, as opposed to simply being a sign of undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease.

Source: News 24 March 11, 2021 10:18 UTC