Gout may protect against Parkinson's disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study suggest an association between gout and a lower risk of Parkinson's disease.

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. And while several studies have suggested that higher levels of uric acid are associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, none of these studies have specifically evaluated the potential association between gout and the risk of Parkinson's.

Therefore, Dr. Alvaro Alonso, of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues examined the association between a diagnosis of gout and the risk of Parkinson's disease. Included in the study were 1,052 people with Parkinson's and 6,634 control subjects without Parkinson's.

The researchers found that people diagnosed with gout had a 31 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

The apparent protective effect of gout on Parkinson's was seen in men, nonsmokers, and people who were at least 60 years old. The association was not seen in women, smokers, and those younger than age 60 years.

Alonso and colleagues note that different biologic mechanisms might explain the association between gout, high uric acid levels, and lower risk of Parkinson's.

SOURCE: Neurology, October 23, 2007.