Parkinson Disease and Vitamin D - Research Paper Example

?Articles summary: Parkinson disease and vitamin D Integrated summary The considered articles identify significant association between Parkinson’s disease and vitamin D. The first article, by Sato et al., explores the relationship between vitamin D and bone density and bone fracture among patients of Parkinson’s disease. Based on preliminary findings that lack of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin, a form of vitamin D, leads to poor bone density among the patients, the researchers implemented an experimental design in which 43 participants received 1a-hydroxyvitamin D3 treatment while 43 other participants did not receive the treatment. Even though the research results indicated loss in bone densities for all patients, the patients who received the treatment experienced less significant density loss than those who did not receive the vitamin D treatment. This identifies significance of vitamin D in managing loss of bone density, and bone fracture among Parkinson’s disease patients. The article by Chen et all on consumption of dairy products and risk of Parkinson’s disease also develops relevant information on the association between vitamin D and Parkinson’s disease. The researchers clarify that even though the vitamin is a component of dairy products that increases the disease’s incidence, the vitamin does contribute to this relationship. Knowledge of the relationship between Parkinson’s disease and vitamin D is further developed by Kones’ article that identifies a mediation role of the vitamin in bone density and bone fracture among among Parkinson’s disease. Vitamin D facilitates regulation of processes and cells in the brain system and its supplement in Parkinson’s disease patients is associated with significant effects. Amelioration of osteopenia and hupovitaminosis D by 1 ?-hydroxyvitamin D3 in elderly patients with Parkinson disease Reference Sato, Yoshihiro. et al. “Amelioration of osteopenia and hupovitaminosis D by 1 ?-hydroxyvitamin D3 in elderly patients with Parkinson disease.” f Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1996.66 (1996): 64-68. Print. The search used Google search engine with osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, as vitamin D, and found multiple resources on the relationship between osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, as vitamin D. Sato, Mnabe, Kuno, and Oizumi authored the article that was published by f Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. The authors aimed at exploring the relationship between experiences among Parkinson’s disease and vitamin D in the patients and the article notes that despite the identified high prevalence of bone fractures among the patients, there is a knowledge gap on the relationship between bone fracture and the disease. Previous research findings however indicate a relationship between lack of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D among the patients and reduced bone mineral density that is a factor to bone fracture. Inducing forms of vitamin D such as 1a-hydroxyvitamin D3 would therefore manage the density loss in the patients’ bones. This formed the basis of the research. A sample of 86 elderly people was randomly obtained and put into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 1a-hydroxyvitamin D3 whole the control group remained untreated in the research that took one and a half years before posttest measurement on bone density. Results shows that all Parkinson’s disease patients suffered loss in bone density but those who received 1a-hydroxyvitamin D3 treatment experienced significant lower level of loss compared to patients who were not treated. The disease was also associated with loss of vitamin D elements from the patients’ bodies. Further, eight participants from the control group reported bone fractures while only one from the treatment group reported the fractures, and the research concluded that increasing vitamin D concentration among Parkinson’s disease patients reduces rates of bone fracture that is associated with the disease (Sato, et al., 64- 68). Consumption of dairy products and risk of Parkinson’s disease Reference Chen, Honglei. et al. “Consumption of dairy products and risk of Parkinson’s disease.” American Journal of Epidemiology 165.9 (2007): 998- 1006. Print. The search used Google search engine with dairy products, diet, milk, and Parkinson’s disease as the key words. The key words yielded several other articles that were evaluated for relevance between the disease and vitamin D. The researchers sought investigate the link between a person’s susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease and diet intake, and included focus on vitamin D intake. They identified two possible effects of diet on the disease’s risk, effects on “oxidative balance in the brain” and intoxicating the body system that in turn affects neurons (Chen, et al., 998). Using data from American Cancer Society and an already identified cohort for a cancer study, the research sampled 86404 men and 97786 women for the study. Incidence of Parkinson’s disease was identified among the participants by reviewing signs of the disease besides consulting with the participants’ physicians. Details of the participants’ diet were captured from questionnaires and vitamin D intake was determined from consumed foods and minerals. Further, measurement for vitamin D consumption was adjusted with levels of energy consumption into the body. Measurement of vitamin D intake was identified into three categories. The study identified a significant association between diet intake and susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease in which consumption of dairy products had a direct association with the disease’s incidence. The general association did not however hold between vitamin D intake and the disease’s prevalence as the vitamin’s intake reduced risk of the disease. Even though vitamin D, together with calcium, is a component of dairy products, the research concluded that it does not play a significant role in increasing the disease’s incidence and that possible contamination of the dairy products could be the cause of their effects on the disease’s prevalence (Chen, et al., 998- 1006). Mitochondrial therapy for Parkinson’s disease: Neuroprotective pharmaconutrition may be disease-modifier Reference: Kones, Richard. “Mitochondrial therapy for Parkinson’s disease: Neuroprotective pharmaconutrition may be disease-modifier.” Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and application 2010.2 (2010): 185-198. Print. The search also relied on the Google search engine with Parkinson’s disease, inflammation, reactive oxygen species, and vitamin D, to retrieve the article among others with similar key terms. Kones’s study of the Parkinson’s disease identifies its possible diversified causes that culminate into impaired neurons to exhibit the disease’s symptoms. He identifies vitamin D, though it is not one of the disease’s causes, as an important factor to understanding Parkton’s disease. The article identifies primary causes of the disease in factors such as genetics, and environmental pollution from “pesticides, herbicides, well water and some microbes” (Kones, 186). Other causes are “Mitochondrial dysfunction,” “inflammation,” “reactive oxygen species,” “protein accumulation,” and “oxitoxicity,” (Kones, 186-187). Kones further explores secondary factors such as “creatine,” “coenzyme Q10,” “long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids,” and “Vitamin D” (Kones, 187- 193). The vitamins play diversified roles in the neuron system and these identify its health significance to functionality of the brain. It for example regulates gene-based communication in nerves and is instrumental in controlling “neurotrophin turnover, glutathione synthesis, inductive nitric oxide synthase activity, and apoptosis,” and these and other roles of the vitamin have led to its application in the elderly home care (193). The vitamin’s deficiency has also been associated with poor bone density among patients of Parkinson’s disease. Further, supplementing the vitamin in the patients’ bodies has been noted as a necessity that benefits the patients. The vitamin has also been associated with “constellation of postural instability” among the disease’s patients, and it influences other body conditions such as muscle strength (193). Different research findings have also supported a significant association between vitamin D and Parkinson’s disease (Kones, 193- 194). Works cited Chen, Honglei. et al. “Consumption of dairy products and risk of Parkinson’s disease.” American Journal of Epidemiology 165.9 (2007): 998- 1006. Print. Kones, Richard. “Mitochondrial therapy for Parkinson’s disease: Neuroprotective pharmaconutrition may be disease-modifier.” Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and application 2010.2 (2010): 185-198. Print. Sato, Yoshihiro. et al. “Amelioration of osteopenia and hupovitaminosis D by 1 ?-hydroxyvitamin D3 in elderly patients with Parkinson disease.” f Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1996.66 (1996): 64-68. Print. Read More