Parkinson’s Disease May Double the Risk of Skin Cancer

Posted on June 28, 2011, 6 a.m. in Cancer | Parkinsons Disease | Skin-Hair |

Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder that causes tremors and difficulty with movement and walking, and most commonly affects people over the age of 50.  Honglei Chen, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues completed an analysis of several studies that reveals that people with Parkinson's disease are at a significantly higher risk of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer and the leading cause of death from skin diseases.  The researchers examined 12 studies conducted from 1965 and 2010, and found that men with Parkinson's disease were twice as likely as those without Parkinson's to have melanoma. Women with Parkinson's disease were one-and-a-half times as likely to be diagnosed with the dangerous form of skin cancer compared to women without Parkinson's. There was no clear link found between Parkinson's and non-melanoma skin cancer.  Reporting that: “Collective epidemiologic evidence supports an association of [Parkinson's Disease] with melanoma,” the team submits that: “Further research is needed to examine the nature and mechanisms of this relationship.”

Continue reading…

Rui Liu, Xiang Gao, Yi Lu, Honglei Chen.  “Meta-analysis of the relationship between Parkinson disease and melanoma.”  Neurology, June 7, 2011, 76:2002-2009.

  

Health Headlines MORE »

Lifting less weight more times is just as effective at building muscle as training with heavy weights.
People with age-related macular degeneration may be at up to 50% increased risk for both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Carvacrol, a compound found in oregano, is shown to induce prostate cancer cell death.
People who live in city centers are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification, a common precursor to heart disease.
The high acidity levels in sports and energy drinks erode tooth enamel.
Levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) fell by 26% among subjects who received supplementation with resveratrol-rich grape extract for one year.
Rich in antioxidants, blueberries and strawberries may delay memory decline in older women by 2.5 years.
Teens who consumed 35 grams of protein at breakfast reported greater feelings of fullness and showed improved hormone responses.
Eating pistachios may positively impact bacterial profile of the digestive tract.

ANTI-AGING TIP OF THE DAY

275. Sustainable Environment Supports Human Health
What’s good for the planet is good for people. Researchers from Arizona State University (Arizona, USA) completed a meta-analysis of 120 peer-reviewed publications on the health effects of plastics and plasticizers in lab animals and humans. This study reiterates the fact that the effects to the environment from plastic waste are acute. In the U.S., the average person produces a half-pound of plastic waste every day, and as such, adverse effects to human health are a potential area for grave concern...