Link Between Allergic Rhinitis And Parkinson's - Clarification

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease
Article Date: 09 Aug 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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Media coverage has been reporting that allergies are linked to Parkinson's. An article in The Times (UK) states "millions of people who suffer from chronic allergies to pets, dust and spores are up to three times more likely to develop Parkinson's later in life."

Although the research study reported on did establish that there was a greater incidence of allergic rhinitis amongst the group of Parkinson's patients, this does not establish that allergic rhinitis is a cause of Parkinson's. Rather, it may demonstrate that allergic rhinitis may be one of the effects of Parkinson's.

The research studied a group of 196 people with Parkinson's matched with people of similar age and gender who did not, over a 20-year period. The two groups were examined to determine if people with Parkinson's suffered from more inflammatory conditions.

It is important to note that this study was not designed to establish whether the incidence of Parkinson's amongst people with allergic rhinitis was greater than that seen amongst the general population.

The exact causes of Parkinson's are currently unknown. Research is ongoing in this area. It is generally understood that Parkinson's results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Dr. Kieran Breen, Director of Research says:

"Understanding why dopamine-producing cells within the brain die is crucial to our understanding of Parkinson's. Although there are likely to be many contributory factors, this study does not establish any convincing causal link between allergic rhinitis and Parkinson's. People who do have allergic rhinitis should not be concerned by the findings of this study."

Parkinson's affects approximately 120,000 people in the UK.

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk

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