Two studies shows exercise improves symptoms of Parkinsons and also helps reduce the risk of Parkinsons

For the estimated half a million people in the US living with Parkinson’s disease, simple day-to-day activities can prove a challenge. But a new study claims exercise can improve balance, mobility and overall quality of life for individuals with the condition. In patients with less severe Parkinson’s, exercise may even reduce the risk of falls.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that is newly diagnosed in around 50,000 Americans each year. Onset is most common among individuals over the age of 60, and the disease affects around 50% more men than women.

Falling is common among people with Parkinson’s; around 60% of individuals with the disease experience a fall each year, and approximately two thirds of these fall frequently.

Those with less severe Parkinson’s disease who took part in the exercise program saw a 70% reduction in falls, compared with those who continued with their usual care.

Neurology – Exercise for falls prevention in Parkinson disease

Another study found reduction for the risks of Parkinson’s disease with 1 hour of moderate physical activity each day.

Brain
A Journal of Neurology – Physical activity and risk of Parkinson’s disease in the Swedish National March Cohort

Physical exercise has been associated with neuroprotective effects in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. To examine the impact of physical activity on Parkinson’s disease risk prospectively, we followed 43 368 individuals who provided extensive information on physical activity at baseline. We estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Cox proportional hazards regression. During an average of 12.6 years of follow-up, 286 incident Parkinson’s disease cases were identified. In males, there was an inverse association with Parkinson’s disease for total physical activity (hazard ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.35–0.87 for medium versus low level), for sum of household, commuting and leisure time exercise (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.33–0.85 for high versus low level), and for household and commuting physical activity specifically (hazard ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.31–0.81 for over 6 versus less 2 hours per week). No association was observed for leisure time exercise or occupational physical activity with Parkinson’s disease, among either males or females. Meta-analysis of the present study and five previous prospective studies showed a pooled hazard ratio of 0.66 (95% confidence interval 0.57–0.78) for highest versus lowest physical activity level. Our results indicate that a medium level of physical activity lowers Parkinson’s disease risk.

SOURCES- Journal Brain, Neurology Journal

1 thought on “Two studies shows exercise improves symptoms of Parkinsons and also helps reduce the risk of Parkinsons”

  1. In February last year, out of nowhere, my eyes became light sensitive, had slurred speech and I was diagnosed of PARKINSON DISEASE. I started out taking only Azilect, then Mirapex and sinemet as the disease progressed but didn’t help much. In July, I started on PARKINSON DISEASE TREATMENT PROTOCOL from Mayaka Natural Clinic (ww w. mayakanaturalclinic. c om). One month into the treatment, I made a significant recovery, almost all my symptoms were gone. Its been 6 months since I completed the treatment, I live a better life..

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