Results of a new Mayo Clinic study support an association between anemia experienced early in life and the development of Parkinson’s disease many years later. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Seattle on April 30.
“We were surprised to discover that chronic anemia or low levels of hemoglobin were linked to the risk of Parkinson’s disease 20- to 30-years later,” says Walter A. Rocca, M.D., an author of the study and a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.
Hemoglobin is the protein that transports oxygen in the blood, an essential element for life. “We looked at both anemia as diagnosed by a physician and low hemoglobin values,” Rocca says. “Both were associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. This might indicate that Parkinson’s disease actually starts 20- to 30-years before we see any motor changes in the body.”
Below is a link to an edited youtube video with Dr. Rocca .
I HAVE BEEN ENIMIC FOR A LONG TIME, MAY BE I AM STILL HAVE TELESIMIA.
AT PRESENT I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE PARKINSONISM. I DO NOT SHAKE AT ALL.
WHAT KIND OF DIET I SHOULD TAKE AS AN STRICT VEGITARIAN.
THANKS.
What connection is there between Parkinson’s and Thallasemia Minor? I have both and I didn’t eat meat for the longest time. Just started eating “red meat” about 3 yrs.ago. I’m now 64.
Robert
Robert, I checked with Dr. Eric Ahlskog regarding your inquiry. He said that their published findings relate to anemia that was mild, persistent but not linked to any specific cause. Thalassemia did not surface in this study and he would suspect that this co-occurrence of Parkinson’s disease and Thalassemia is coincidental. Of course, you should always contact your physicians with any questions. If you’d like to request an appointment at Mayo Clinic, you can call:
Arizona: 480-422-1646
Florida: 904-494-6487
Minnesota: 888-509-8773
Thanks for your comment.