November 2023 Newsletter
This past month, Dr. Shahrzad Akhtar spoke at our last meeting of the year. Dr. Akhtar is a movement disorder specialist and neurologist with the Permanente Medical Group of Northern California. She presented on “Living with Parkinsons; Important Things to Consider,” speaking about the risk factors, pre-diagnosis symptoms, disease progression, treatment, and managing Parkinson’s.
“Don’t let Parkinson’s have you.”
The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, but, risk factors include exposure to some pesticides, genetic predisposition, diabetes, use of meth, heavy metals exposure, and repetitive head trauma. Pre-diagnosis symptoms include hyposmia (decreased smell), constipation, mood disorders, and REM Sleep disorder. Currently, the only way of diagnosing Parkinson’s is clinical, although research into a diagnostic test looks promising. By the time Parkinson’s is diagnosed, 60-80% of dopamine-creating cells are lost. Dr. Akhtar also talked about current research in the early detection of Parkinson’s.
Dr. Akhtar also spoke about what helps to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s. These include tobacco (with the caveat of probable lung cancer), coffee/caffeine, exercise, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs, polyunsaturated fats, and diet.
Dr. Akhtar also explained the importance of consistency in taking medications. She recommends taking medication 30 minutes before or one hour after eating. This is because taking medications, such as Levodopa with protein slows down absorption. To increase absorption, Dr. Akhtar recommends taking medication with a carbonated drink or chewing the tablets. However, Dr. Ahktar explains, taking medication is always more important than trying not to take it with food.
Dr. Akhtar also explained the importance of diet and exercise in preventing and managing Parkinson’s. High-intensity exercise is important in helping to decrease the breakdown of dopamine. Exercise can help delay the onset of motor symptoms, decrease motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, and help with memory loss. Dr. Akhtar recommended getting 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 days a week (not including the warm-up or cool-down). She also recommends getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week, though 7 days a week is preferable. Some examples of exercise that have been shown to be beneficial include tai chi, yoga, boxing, and water activities.
Dr. Akhtar also spoke about the importance of diet and nutrition in helping to prevent and slow down Parkinson’s. The diets she recommended were the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet. The Mediterranean diet recommends eating foods that are plant-based and nutrient-rich. Foods recommended by this diet include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based fats, olive oil, polyunsaturated fats, fish, poultry, legumes, eggs, moderate consumption of dairy products, less red meats and added sugars, and limiting processed and fried foods. The MIND diet has been shown to be a little more effective in preventing/slowing down Parkinson's, and is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. This diet suggests higher consumption of berries and leafy greens, and limiting butter, red meats, and sweets.