Early Parkinson's patients 'have vitamin D insufficiency'

People in the early stages of Parkinson's disease have high incidence of vitamin D insufficiency, research has shown.

The study published in the Archives of Neurology has also shown that while those with the condition have a high insufficiency, levels of concentration of vitamin D do not decrease as the disease progresses.

Insufficiency of the vitamin has been linked to many disorders, including impaired balance and muscle strength, mood and cognitive dysfunction as well as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and some types of cancer.

"Vitamin D concentrations did not decrease but instead increased slightly over the course of follow-up. This provides evidence that during early [Parkinson's], vitamin D concentrations do not decrease with disease progression," concluded the authors.

Parkinson's disease could be staved off by eliminating one element from the cell mechanism, according to research conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.

It was found that caspase-2 plays a role in cell death or survival, depending on the amount of damage inflicted.

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