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Lack of testosterone contributes to the development of Parkinson's disease
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Employees of the US medical center "Rush", who are studying the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in detail, suggested that the symptoms of the disease may be caused by a shortage of testosterone. Parkinson's disease is considered one of the most dangerous diseases that threaten the older generation in the modern world. The disease is typical for people over 60 years of age and is caused by the death of neurons of both the brain and the central nervous system.
The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremor of the upper and lower extremities, mental disorders of the person, a sharp increase in muscle tone and hypokinesia (forced low mobility of muscles). Most often, the diagnosis of the disease does not cause difficulties: usually doctors have enough of one of the permanent symptoms in order to confirm the presence of the disease. To date, Parkinson's disease is considered the most common neurodegenerative disease (is on the list after Alzheimer's disease). In developed countries, the disease affects about 120-140 people per 100,000 population over 60 years of age and the numbers are increasing every year.
Among the factors that contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease, physicians identify genetic predisposition, aging, the ecological situation in developed countries and other environmental factors. Premature aging, on the other hand, can be facilitated by a decrease in the amount of dopamine in the body and a decrease in the total number of dopamine receptors.
American scientists have conducted several experiments, which proved another possible factor affecting the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Experts from the scientific center believe that a sharp drop in testosterone levels in the body can cause symptoms that are identical to those in Parkinson's disease. During the study of the symptoms of the disease, as well as the factors contributing to its development, physicians conducted several experiments on small rodents. The experiments proved the fact that when the testosterone level fell in the male white laboratory mice, symptoms of Parkinson's disease were seen . With a more thorough study of the behavior of rodents, the scientists' conjecture was confirmed: to reduce the testosterone level as soon as possible, the mice were castrated and soon after the operation, symptoms of Parkinson's disease were seen in rodents.
Experts noticed that the symptoms in rodents were practically the same as those of the classic symptoms that are observed in elderly men who suffer from Parkinson's disease. The testosterone level in men usually falls with age; such changes can be associated with the aging process of the body, with a lot of stressful situations, as well as with chronic diseases. As an experiment, scientists tried to feed castrated rodents with food with hormonal supplements, and the result was satisfactory: the symptoms of the disease gradually disappeared.
Doctors believe that this discovery may be one of the most important in the last few years. If further research is successful, scientists will start developing drugs that can not only heal, but also prevent the disease.
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