Metabolic syndrome linked to increased risk of Parkinson's disease
People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The findings, published in the journal Neurology, highlight the importance of early detection and treatment of metabolic risk factors.
Metabolic syndrome is a collective term for several risk factors: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, and abnormal blood lipids. It has long been known as a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers are showing that the syndrome may also play a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, a link that has received relatively little attention to date.
"The study highlights a link between two very common conditions. Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, and metabolic syndrome affects about one in four adults. But it is also something you can influence yourself, unlike Parkinson's disease, which has no cure," says last author Weili Xu, professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet.
The study followed 467,200 people for up to 15 years. In the group with metabolic syndrome – which included 38 percent of the participants – the risk of Parkinson's disease was higher than in the group without the syndrome. The incidence was 5.21 cases per 10,000 person-years among those with metabolic syndrome compared with 4.87 cases per 10,000 person-years among those without.
When the researchers adjusted for factors such as age, smoking, physical activity, and genetic risks, it was found that people with metabolic syndrome had approximately a 40 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
The results are supported by previous research
The researchers also conducted a meta-analysis that included eight previous studies. A similar association was found there as well: people with metabolic syndrome had an average 29 percent higher risk of Parkinson's.
"We also found a higher risk of Parkinson's disease in people with both metabolic syndrome and a genetic predisposition to Parkinson's disease.
This suggests that it may be particularly important to maintain good metabolic health for people who have genes that increase the risk of Parkinson's disease,“ says Weili Xu. She continues:
”Future studies are needed to find out whether preventive measures against metabolic syndrome can also be a tool in the fight against Parkinson's disease.
The researchers point out that a limitation of the study is that most of the participants were white, which means that the results should be interpreted with caution when applied to other groups.
The study is observational, and no conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn.
The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, FORTE, Karolinska Institutet, and the Dementia Foundation. The researchers state that there are no conflicts of interest.
The text is based on a press release from the journal Neurology.
Publication
”Metabolic syndrome and incidence of Parkinson's disease: a community-based longitudinal study and meta-analysis”, Xinjie Zhang, Jiao Wang, Abigail Dove, Ting Yu, Qiang Li, Rebecca F. Gottesman, Weili Xu, Neurology, online August 20, 2025, doi: