Parkinson ’ s Risk Factors continued
Being a Man , Especially over Age 60
Section 02 — Understanding and Living with Risk Factors
Parkinson ’ s Risk Factors continued
05
Being a Man , Especially over Age 60
How your sex plays a role in your risk
What to know :
Compared to women , men have a higher risk of many diseases , including Parkinson ’ s . Among people living with PD , about 60 percent are men and 40 percent are women . There are many possible reasons for these differences in disease rates , which include differences in biology , lifestyle and environmental exposures . In general , men :
– Have lower levels of certain hormones , such as estrogen ; these hormones may protect the brain from Parkinson ’ s , Alzheimer ’ s and other diseases .
– Tend not to visit the doctor as often for regular checkups or preventative health care screenings . And if new symptoms come on , men may wait longer to see a physician , meaning disease may progress further before diagnosis .
– Are less likely to practice healthy behaviors , such as avoiding tobacco , limiting alcohol , eating well and exercising regularly .
– Are more likely to be exposed to environmental experiences linked to disease risk . This could include holding jobs that involve pesticides , solvents or other substances linked to brain disease , or being more likely to experience head or brain injuries — through contact sports or military service , for instance — which raise risk .
Inequities and bias in health care also could be a factor . It ’ s possible that women get Parkinson ’ s at a rate similar to men but are under-diagnosed . Doctors might , for example , be more likely to diagnose Parkinson ’ s ( or other ) disease in men while dismissing or seeking alternate explanations for symptoms in women .
Men and women also have different disease paths and medication responses . Women might experience more Parkinson ’ s non-motor symptoms , such as mood , digestion and blood pressure changes . Such features may not be recognized as Parkinson ’ s as readily as the cardinal movement symptoms of the disease ( resting tremor , rigidity and slowness of movement ).
KEEP IN MIND
+ Parkinson ’ s is more common among men compared to women .
+ Men and women may , in general , have different Parkinson ’ s symptoms , journeys to diagnosis , and medication responses .
+ Different biology , lifestyle factors , and environmental influences may explain PD differences between men and women .
+ Men can help researchers understand sex differences in brain health to enhance care and prevent disease .
42 The Michael J . Fox Foundation for Parkinson ’ s Research