Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The symptoms are caused by the death of dopamine generating cells in the brain. Symptoms of the disease are shaking, rigidity, and movement along with mental symptoms such as thinking and dementia. Resent research shows that men are more likely to get the disease than women. The question is why does this occur? One reason behind this is due to the different life styles between the genders. Men tend to have jobs that expose them to toxic chemicals which have been linked to causing PD. MPTP is a chemical which has been shown to cause Parkinson’s like symptoms and is now used to cause the disease in rats for testing. Men are also more likely to get a head injury severe enough to cause damage which later on could lead to PD. Another fact could be the types of hormones men and women produce. Research has shown estrogen may have protective effects against the formation of the disease. Men tend to have a higher level of iron in their body than women. This is a problem because research shows that the accumulation of iron in the brain is another possible factor for PD. However, the research at this time is inconclusive if this maybe another factor to why men are more like to develop PD.
Why are Men more likely to get Parkinson’s disease?
