New Study Finds Anxiety May Double the Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease in People Over 50

Additional risk factors for Parkinson's disease in people with anxiety include depression, sleep disturbances, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity or balance impairment.
Further research is needed to explore how anxiety relates to other early symptoms of Parkinson's disease and its underlying progression.
New study suggests people over 50 with anxiety may be twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
Researchers identified 331 patients who developed Parkinson's disease after being diagnosed with anxiety and compared them to a control group.
Those with anxiety were twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease even after adjusting for age, lifestyle factors, mental illness, and other factors.
New Study Finds Anxiety May Double the Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease in People Over 50

New research suggests that people over 50 with anxiety may be up to twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease compared with their peers without anxiety. The findings come from a study published in the British Journal of General Practice, which analyzed primary care data from the United Kingdom.

Researchers identified 331 patients who developed Parkinson's disease after being diagnosed with anxiety and compared them to a control group of 987,691 people without anxiety. They found that those with anxiety were twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease, even after adjusting for age, lifestyle factors, mental illness, and other factors.

Additional risk factors for Parkinson's disease in people with anxiety include depression, sleep disturbances, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity or balance impairment. Those who had dizziness or shoulder pain and urinary or erectile problems were less likely to develop the condition.

The study's co-lead author Anette Schrag said that further research is needed to explore how anxiety relates to other early symptoms of Parkinson's disease and its underlying progression in its earliest stages. Early detection and treatment of the condition could lead to better outcomes for patients.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Non-motor symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, cognitive impairment, and loss of smell are also common.

People with anxiety should not worry about developing Parkinson's disease but should be aware that it is a potential risk factor. If you have concerns about your mental or physical health, consult your healthcare provider for advice.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Is the correlation between anxiety and Parkinson's disease causal or just associative?
  • Were all potential confounding factors accounted for in the study?

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Study suggests connection between anxiety and Parkinson’s disease

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Erin Blakemore Sunday, 30 June 2024 10:30
  • Unique Points
    • People over 50 with anxiety may be up to twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
    • Those who had depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, cognitive impairment, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity or balance impairment were likelier to develop Parkinson’s disease.
    • The average patient who developed Parkinson’s disease did so 4.9 years after their first anxiety diagnosis.
    • People with anxiety were still twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those without an anxiety diagnosis even after adjusting for age, lifestyle factors, mental illness and other factors.
  • Accuracy
    • People over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
    • Those who had depression, sleep issues, and hypotension were other risk factors for Parkinson’s alongside anxiety.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Risk of Parkinson’s disease higher for people over 50 with anxiety

Medical News Today Eileen Bailey Monday, 01 July 2024 11:59
  • Unique Points
    • People over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    • ]People over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.[
    • People over 50 with anxiety may be up to twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
    • Those who had depression, sleep disturbances, and tremors were likelier to develop Parkinson's disease.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article makes several statements that could be considered editorializing or implying a connection between anxiety and Parkinson's disease without providing clear evidence. For example, the author states 'Researchers say people over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.' However, the article does not provide any specific data or studies to support this claim. Additionally, the author quotes Dr. Daniel Truong stating 'The study provides compelling evidence linking anxiety to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) in individuals over 50.' However, the article does not mention what specific data or findings from the study Truong is referring to. These statements could be considered sensational and selectively reporting information that supports the author's position. Furthermore, there are several instances where the author quotes experts making opinions about anxiety being a prodromal symptom of Parkinson's disease, but not all experts agree with this notion.
    • Researchers say people over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.
    • The study provides compelling evidence linking anxiety to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) in individuals over 50.
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article makes several assertions that are supported by evidence and do not contain any obvious fallacies. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority that slightly lowers the score. The author quotes Dr. Daniel Truong making a statement about anxiety being a prodromal symptom of Parkinson's disease, which is an interpretation of the study results and not a logical deduction from the data presented in the article.
    • ][Dr. Daniel Truong] says that [new onset] anxiety may be a prodromal symptom of PD,
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Anxiety Doubles Parkinson’s Risk

Neuroscience News Neuroscience News Tuesday, 25 June 2024 13:14
  • Unique Points
    • People over 50 with anxiety have twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
    • The study included data from 109,435 patients with anxiety and 878,256 controls.
  • Accuracy
    • People who had depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, cognitive impairment, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity or balance impairment were likelier to develop Parkinson’s disease.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article makes several assertions that are supported by data and research findings. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority fallacy when the authors mention a simple blood test developed by their team that can predict Parkinson's disease up to seven years before the onset of symptoms. This fallacy occurs because the validity or accuracy of the blood test is not questioned or challenged in the article, and it is presented as a fact due to its association with reputable institutions (UCL and University Medical Centre Goettingen).
    • The researchers have developed a simple blood test that uses artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before the onset of symptoms.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Parkinson's Risk Doubles With Anxiety in Older Adults

Newsweek LLC Pandora Dewan Tuesday, 25 June 2024 14:59
  • Unique Points
    • People with anxiety are twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared with those without, according to a study from University College London (UCL).
    • People over age 50 with anxiety have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
    • Developing anxiety after age 50 might increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
    • Additional risk factors for Parkinson’s disease in people with anxiety include depression, sleep disturbances, and tremors.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies found. However, there is an appeal to authority and a slight overgeneralization in the article.
    • Anxiety is known to be a feature of the early stages of Parkinson's disease, but prior to our study, the prospective risk of Parkinson's in those over the age of 50 with new-onset anxiety was unknown.
    • Developing anxiety after the age of 50 could be a key determinant of Parkinson's disease, new research suggests.
    • In those with anxiety, other symptoms like depression, low blood pressure, tremor, rigidity, balance impairment, constipation, sleep disturbances and fatigue were also associated with an increased risk of developing the condition.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

People with anxiety twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s - study

Euronews Wednesday, 26 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • People with anxiety have twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared with their non-anxious peers.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication