Skip to main content

Risk of Parkinson Disease Heightened in People With Anxiety

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 22, 2024.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, July 22, 2024 -- The risk of developing Parkinson disease (PD) is at least doubled in people with anxiety compared with those without, according to a study published in the July issue of the British Journal of General Practice.

Juan Carlos Bazo-Alvarez, Ph.D., from University College London, and colleagues investigated the incidence of PD in people diagnosed with new anxiety (2008 to 2018; aged ≥50 years) as well as clinical features associated with later diagnosis of PD in people with anxiety.

The researchers found that the risk of PD increased twofold versus those without anxiety after adjusting for age, sex, social deprivation, lifestyle factors, severe mental illness, head trauma, and dementia (hazard ratio, 2.1). The presence of depression, hypotension, tremor, rigidity, balance impairment, constipation, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and cognitive impairment were associated with an increased risk of developing PD in those with anxiety.

"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," Avarez said in a statement. "By understanding that anxiety and the mentioned features are linked to a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease over the age of 50, we hope that we may be able to detect the condition earlier and help patients get the treatment they need."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Paternal Mental Distress Linked to Poorer Offspring Development

WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 -- Paternal mental distress is associated with poorer child development, according to a study published online June 16 in JAMA Pediatrics. Genevieve Le...

Self-Esteem Scores Soar One Year After Metabolic, Bariatric Surgery

TUESDAY, June 24, 2025 -- Self-esteem scores increase after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), with greater improvement in scores for those with higher postoperative weight...

Likelihood of Psych Disorders Lower With Weight-Loss Surgery Versus GLP-1 RAs

FRIDAY, June 20, 2025 -- People undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders than those treated with glucagon-like peptide-1...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.