Risk factors are different for different diseases and for different people . They vary in the forms they take , whether they are avoidable , exactly how much they increase the chance of disease , and other aspects .
Risk factors can be conditions that we live with or ones that run in our family . A person with high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels , for example , is at increased risk of heart disease or stroke . Someone who has multiple family members with breast cancer or depression has a higher chance of each of these diseases .
Risk factors also can be changes in our genes or elements of the areas in which we work or live ( our environment ). Genetic mutations , pesticides and air pollution , for instance , can raise risk for Parkinson ’ s disease ( PD ) or Alzheimer ’ s . Lifestyle activities , such as smoking cigarettes , drinking excess alcohol or spending too much time in the sun , increase the chance of certain diseases , too .
Just getting older is one of the biggest risk factors for brain disease , including PD . Researchers believe this is because , over time , age-related brain cell changes and harmful exposures can add up . These , in turn , affect how brain cells and genes work , potentially leading to disease .
But exactly how and why this happens , and how to stop it from happening , have been hard questions to answer . A main , perhaps obvious , reason : The brain is complex . And the brain with disease is even more complicated . But researchers are chipping away at that complexity . And now , we ’ re moving closer to predicting and preventing brain disease like Parkinson ’ s .
One of the critical steps on the path to prevention is learning why some people get disease and others don ’ t . Not everyone gets disease as they age . Neither does everyone with a risk factor . Is that because of not-yet-identified gene changes that lessen risk ? Or because of behaviors , such as practicing specific exercises or dietary habits , that protect from disease ?
You can take comfort in knowing that , even with a risk , you are not destined to develop disease . But it ’ s natural — and right ! — to want to do everything you can to limit risk . Thanks to insights from a growing body of research , there are many science-backed steps you can take .
When it comes to risks for Parkinson ’ s , for example , we now know more than ever . At The Michael J . Fox Foundation , we ’ ve been studying the brain and Parkinson ’ s since 2000 . We ’ ve made steady progress in better treatments and understanding . And we ’ re on the path to predicting and preventing disease . As we make our way there , we want to share what we know about risks for Parkinson ’ s , how to limit them , and how to join research toward a world without the disease .
Since
2000
The Michael J . Fox Foundation has funded more than $ 1.5 billion in brain research around the globe .
PARKINSON ’ S RISKS
+ Physically acting out your dreams when you sleep
+ Carrying a genetic change linked to Parkinson ’ s
+ Having a family member who lives or lived with the disease
+ Serving in the military
+ Being a man , especially over age 60
Better Brain Health | Section 02 — Understanding and Living with Risk Factors 27