High Urate Levels, Lower Parkinson’s Disease Risk

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Men who have high levels of urate (also known as uric acid) in their blood may be less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a study recently published in the journal Neurology. Previous studies have suggested that urate may play a protective role within brain cells. The study analyzed urate levels in blood tests from 90,214 participants. A total of 388 people who developed Parkinson’s disease after the start of the studies were compared to 1,267 people who did not have the disease. The researchers also combined their results with the those from three previous studies on the topic for a meta-analysis. Results showed that men with the lowest level of urate had levels of less than 4.9 milligrams per deciliter. Those with the highest levels had 6.3 to 9.0 mg/dL. Normal levels can range from 3.5 to 7.2 mg/dL. The men who had the highest levels of urate were nearly 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those with the lowest levels. Among the men with Parkinson’s disease, 45 men had the highest level of urate and 58 men had the lowest level of urate. Among the healthy men, 111 were in the group with the highest level of urate; 107 were in the group with the lowest level. The researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect Parkinson’s disease risk, such as age, smoking and caffeine use. There was no relationship between the level of urate in women and whether they developed Parkinson’s disease. To read more about this study, click here.

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