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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for Parkinson's disease include:
- Age. Young adults rarely experience Parkinson's disease. It ordinarily begins in middle or late life, and the risk continues to increase with age.
- Heredity. Having a close relative with Parkinson's increases the chances that you'll also develop the disease, although your risk is still no more than about 4 to 6 percent.
- Sex. Men are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than women are.
- Exposure to toxins. Ongoing exposure to herbicides and pesticides puts you at slightly increased risk of Parkinson's.
References
- Parkinson's disease: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm. Accessed March 29, 2010.
- Parkinson's disease. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec16/ch221/ch221g.html. Accessed March 29, 2010.
- Chou KL. Clinical manifestations of Parkinson disease. http://wwwuptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Stacy M. Medical treatment of Parkinson disease. Neurology Clinics. 2009;27:605.
- Schapira AHV. Etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson disease. Neurology Clinics. 2009;27:583.
- Gallager C. Parkinson's disease. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192217229-3/976194918/1494/64.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50021-1_683. Accessed March 31, 2010.
- Tarsy D. Pharmacological treatment of Parkinson disease. http://wwwuptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Fitness counts. National Parkinson Foundation. http://www2.parkinson.org/Document.Doc?&id=55. Accessed April 1, 2010.
- Parkinson's disease. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 1, 2010.
- Ahlskog JE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 2, 2010.
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