After 200 years of uncertainty, a Finnish research group has found a probable cause of Parkinson’s disease.
“The results are significant,” says Per Saris, professor at the University of Helsinki, in a press release.
For over two centuries, researchers have tried to find the cause behind the neurological disease Parkinson’s, which affects around 2,000 Swedes every year.
Now a research group at the University of Helsinki has discovered that the majority of cases are caused by a strain of Desulfovibrio bacteria.
– In many cases, the disease is caused by the environment. This means that a person gets the Desulfovibrio bacteria strains, which are behind Parkinson’s, from their environment, says Per Saris in the press release.
Only every tenth case of the disease is genetically inherited, the research group believes.
The symptoms can be slowed down
The result means that you can start performing so-called screenings to identify the bacterial strain in people with Parkinson’s and expel it from the gut.
– In this way, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can possibly be alleviated and slowed down, says Per Saris.
It also means that Parkinson’s disease could be prevented completely.
Parkinson’s disease is a nerve disease that makes it difficult for the brain to control the nerve signals that control the body’s movements.
The disease causes the cells that produce dopamine to be destroyed, which leads to a dopamine deficiency which in turn causes the nerve impulses to change.
Today, approximately 25,000 Swedes live with the disease.
Common symptoms are tremors in relaxed body parts, stiff muscles and impaired mobility. The disease can also come with symptoms such as low blood pressure, reduced sex drive and speech difficulties.
Over time, the symptoms often become more severe, but the disease should generally not affect a person’s lifespan.
Until now, there has been no knowledge of how Parkinson’s disease could be cured or prevented, but there have long been treatments and medicines that can alleviate the symptoms.
The disease usually begins after the age of 55 and is more common in men.
Source: 1177, Hjärnfonden