Another Hidden Risk of Parkinson's

[Guest guest]

http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/4/parkinsons.htm

 

Another Hidden Risk of Parkinson's

 

 

Women may be stuck in a rock and a hard place when it comes to

removing their ovaries: This new study reveals that women who have had

both their ovaries removed are at twice the normal risk of developing

Parkinson's disease.

 

This is because significant amounts of the hormone estrogen, which has

been found to protect certain types of nerve cells, are produced by

women's ovaries. Among the nerve cells estrogen helps are those found

in the substantia nigra (a sector of the brain that controls voluntary

movements). Parkinson's patients show degeneration in this region of

the brain, resulting in shaking and unsteadiness, both characteristic

of the condition.

 

The Parkinson's Link

 

In order to understand how surgical removal of the ovaries influences

a woman's chance of developing Parkinson's disease or its symptoms,

researchers searched through medical records that dated from

1950-1987. The team also conducted thousands of medical checks over

the past five years to follow up patients among the 5,000 women

involved in the study.

 

They found:

 

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About half of the women surveyed had at least one ovary removed

and some 1,200 had both of them removed.

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Of those who had the procedure (either one or both ovaries

removed), 43 women showed Parkinson's-like symptoms, and 25 of them

developed the full-stage disease.

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Only 18 of the roughly 2,500 women whose ovaries were not

removed contracted Parkinson's; 29 developed symptoms.

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Getting both ovaries removed placed women at a higher risk of

developing Parkinson's.

 

Nature April 14, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Although there are certain circumstances, such as ovarian cancer, in

which the removal of one or both ovaries is clearly indicated, many

women elect to include this procedure if they are having a

hysterectomy. This is typically done in an effort to prevent ovarian

cancer.

 

The choice to remove one's ovaries certainly seems logical and

rational, after all what woman wants to die from ovarian cancer?

However, the problem with removing your ovaries is that it virtually

eliminates the possibility of a woman ever being able to normalize her

hormone function naturally. In some cases, this may lead to the

unfortunate circumstance of conventional hormone replacement therapy,

which has been well documented to contribute to a host of undesirable

side effects.

 

This new study suggests that the risks of removing a woman's ovaries

may have additional undesirable consequences.

 

This study, while providing strong evidence for yet another largely

preventable cause of Parkinson's disease, also offers even more

confirmation that many surgeries are unnecessary, and some can even

cause more problems than they are supposed to be curing.

 

Unnecessary surgeries are an epidemic of enormous proportions that

needlessly maim and kill patients. Many of you have heard the horror

stories of doctors mistakenly operating on the wrong person or body

part; mishaps like these involving human error seem inevitable to a

certain degree. However, it is not these types of events that are the

primary concern. It is the commonly practiced, " routine " surgeries

that constitute the bulk of the problem. Often times these procedures

are not only unnecessary, but expensive, stressful and dangerous as

well. And, though they succeed in padding doctors' wallets and raising

health care costs, they often do not solve patients' problems.

 

Studies showing how mastectomies and hysterectomies are often

unnecessary provide ample evidence on their own. Even something so

seemingly harmless as knee surgery is not only frequently wasting

money, but is also proven to be no more effective at symptom relief

than placebo is.

 

Of course, many surgeries are absolutely necessary, and the often

life-saving option they provide is invaluable. Of equal or greater

value is the mostly forgotten, if not flat-out denied, power of your

body to heal itself. When it is given a chance to work, the results

can be nothing short of miraculous.

 

Tips for Preventing Parkinson's Disease

 

Now that I've finished commenting on the newly discovered risk factor

for Parkinson's, I'd like to review the other ways to reduce your risk

of this disease, and prevention is really the best route to take.

Here's what can help:

 

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Regular exercise is one of the best ways to protect against the

onset of symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

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Avoid pesticide and insecticide exposure (as well as exposure to

other environmental toxins like solvents). This is particularly

important as summer approaches and mosquito fogging increases.

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Eating more vegetables, which are high in folic acid, is another

highly effective step to prevent Parkinson's disease.

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Make sure your body has healthy levels of iron (neither too much

nor too little).

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Consider coenzyme Q10, which may help to fight the disease.