A recent study suggests that consistent physical activity, encompassing everyday actions such as walking, stair climbing, gardening, and cleaning, might serve as a protective factor against the onset of Parkinson’s disease in women.
Published online on May 17, 2023, in the journal Neurology, the analysis delved into the habits of nearly 99,000 women, whose average age was 49 years and who had not been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the study’s commencement. Over the course of nearly three decades, researchers meticulously monitored the participants’ levels of physical activity through routine questionnaires. Each woman was assigned an activity score based on the frequency and duration of her participation in recreational, sporting, and household undertakings. The findings highlighted a compelling correlation: as the women’s engagement in physical activity heightened, their vulnerability to Parkinson’s disease—characterized by symptoms such as tremors, muscle rigidity, and issues with gait and balance—demonstrably diminished. In a noteworthy outcome, women boasting the highest activity scores showcased a remarkable 25% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to their less active counterparts.
This newly uncovered association underscores the additional incentive for maintaining an active lifestyle throughout adulthood to potentially ward off the onset of Parkinson’s disease. This affliction, typically identified among individuals aged 60 and above, continues to lack a definitive cure, with existing treatments focusing solely on symptom alleviation.
