Physical activity and the risk of Parkinson disease
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether greater physical activity is associated with a lower risk of Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS: The authors prospectively followed 48,574 men and 77,254 women who provided information on physical activity in 1986 or in early adulthood. During the follow-up, a total of 252 (male) and 135 (female) incident PD cases were identified. RESULTS: In men, greater baseline physical activity was associated with a lower PD risk; compared with the lowest quintile, the multivariate relative risk (RR) of PD for the highest quintile was 0.7 (95% CI 0.5 to 1.1; p value, test for trend = 0.007), and the inverse association was still present after excluding the first 10 years of follow-up (RR = 0.5; p value, test for trend = 0.02). Further, strenuous exercise in early adult life was also inversely related to PD risk in men: compared with men who regularly exercised < or =2 months/year, those with > or =10 months of strenuous exercise had a 60% lower PD risk (RR = 0.4; p value, test for trend = 0.005). In women, physical activity assessed at baseline was not related to PD risk, whereas strenuous exercise in early adulthood tended to be inversely related to PD risk later in life (highest vs lowest categories, RR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 1.4; p value, test for trend = 0.06). CONCLUSION: This study suggests either that higher levels of physical activity may lower the risk of Parkinson disease (PD) in men or that men predisposed to PD tend to avoid strenuous physical activity in their early adult years.
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Parkinson disease risk in humans is significantly reduced by midlife exercise, documented in large prospective studies.
“PD risk in humans is significantly reduced by midlife exercise, documented in large prospective studies.”
From Does vigorous exercise have a neuroprotective effect in Parkinson disease? (2011) · cites this paper as [3]
Moderate to vigorous exercise habits in midlife significantly reduced the risk of later-developing Parkinson disease in three large cohorts, although this was confined to men in one study.
“Moderate to vigorous exercise habits in midlife significantly reduced the risk of later-developing PD in 3 large cohorts, [3][4][5] although confined to men in one study.3”
From Does vigorous exercise have a neuroprotective effect in Parkinson disease? (2011) · cites this paper as [3]
Epidemiological studies support a link between strenuous exercise and reduced risk for Parkinson's disease.
“Epidemiological studies have supported a link between strenuous exercise and reduced risk for PD 5, 6.”
From Exercise-enhanced neuroplasticity targeting motor and cognitive circuitry in Parkinson's disease (2013) · cites this paper as [6]
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- Authors
- Chen, H., Zhang, S. M., Schwarzschild, M. A., Hernán, M. A., & Ascherio, A.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- From the Departments of Nutrition (Drs. Chen and Ascherio) and Epidemiology (Drs. Zhang, Hernán, and Ascherio), Harvard School of Public Health, Division of Preventive Medicine (Dr. Zhang) and Channing Laboratory (Dr. Ascherio), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Department of Neurology (Dr. Schwarzschild), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
- Venue
- Neurology
- Published
- 2005-02-22
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 664-669
- ISSN
- 0028-3878 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-632X
- OpenAlex
- W2121489597
- Cited by
- 371
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 12.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Keywords
- Parkinson's disease, physical activity, strenuous exercise, disease risk, sex differences, early adulthood, women, prospective cohort
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Boston, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Parkinson Disease, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk, Smoking, Sports, Incidence, Proportional Hazards Models
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