Parkinson's Disease Risk Higher In Patients With Depression

New findings published in the journal Neurology show that depression can increase your risk of Parkinson's disease, along with a host of other health issues.

Researchers compared 140,688 participants who were diagnosed with depression from 1987 to 2012 as well as 421,718 control participants. All participants were Swedish citizens 50 and older and depressed participants were diagnosed with depression from 1987 to 2012. Researchers also noted that participants were followed up for 26 years to further examine and potential health connections. 

"This finding gives us more evidence that these two diseases are linked," said study author Peter Nordström, of Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden, in a news release. "If the diseases were independent of each other but caused by the same genetic or early environmental factors, then we would expect to see the two diseases group together in siblings, but that didn't happen."

However, researchers noted that the link between the two health issues should be further studied. For instance, a 2012 study presented at the American Academy of Neurology found that people who are cautious and avoid taking risks may be more likely to develop the disease that results from a loss of brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine; this can affect the body's ability to properly move and hold steady balance. 

The new study findings show that people with depression are up to 3.2 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, the more severe form of the depression, the higher the risk of the illness.

Previous studies have also suggested that a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as alcohol and drug abuse can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease.