Osteoporosis in women increase risk of Parkinson’s disease

According to a recent study, a women that suffered osteoporosis are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Estrogen plays an important role to maintain bone strength. Therefore,  women that has menopause their levels of  estrogen will decrease. Hence, the rate of bone loss increases for approximately 8 to 10 years before returning to premenopausal rates. Its may lead to this disease.

“Risk of patients with early-stage PD can reduce the bone-mineral density levels and osteoporosis and PD always linked together (co-occur),” the authors said.

Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database is using retrospective cohort study to test this hypothesis. In the osteoporosis group, between 2002 and 2006 the investigator enrolled 23,495 patients with osteoporosis aged 50 to 80 years and approximately 23,495 patients without osteoporosis in the comparison group.

Age, sex, comorbid conditions, and socioeconomic status is included in this study. It will be use to rate the tendency scores.

Furthermore, about 31% in the osteoporosis group is likely to develop PD than the comparison group. Thus, patients with osteoporosis is significantly having lower PD-free survival rate compare to the comparison group (p<0.001).

In a gender-based analysis, women with osteoporosis is facing higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than men.

According to the author, “patients with osteoporosis is at high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and the risk appears to be greater in women.”

However, further research need to investigate the mechanisms underlying findings.