Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Parkinson’s Disease and Nutraceutical Intervention Strategies

Hyperglycemia, insulin resistance disturbances, and other common metabolic syndrome signs are currently related to a poor outcome of Parkinson disease. There were no widely accepted nutritional intervention protocols approved for Parkinson’s disease. That author exposes a brief revision of the role of insulin resistance and glycemic metabolism dysfunction in Parkinson’s patients with diabetes. In an ongoing study, with a complete record of dietary habits and diet components, it was demonstrated no significant differences between diabetics (n = 19) and nondiabetics (N = 53). But body composition shows some particularities. A result that attracts attention is total fat analysis and percentage of fat of PD patients showing that diabetics are somewhat fattier. The self-reported presence of obesity does not differ from recorded data of weight and BMI, with no significant differences between the two groups. Taking into consideration that both groups have comparable degrees of disease progression, as measured by the UPDRS, it could be possible to infer that the maintenance of a relative overweight was a protective factor in this group of diabetic evaluated patients. Considerations are made about hasty intervention of nutritional approach for PD patients with diabetes, including body fat reduction, prescription of statins and therapeutic options for diabetes control.