Clinical features of metabolic syndrome in patients with Parkinson's disease

Focus on the metabolic causes underlying dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson's disease (PD) has increased lately. Glucose imbalances have been shown to be present in patients with PD. A syndrome characterized principally by insulin resistance and glucose dysregulations is metabolic syndrome. Scarce literature has evaluated the relation between these two diseases.

To determine the prevalence and clinical features of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with PD.

We analyzed data from 99 patients with PD diagnosis. Scales that evaluate motor, non-motor, and cognitive function, as well as sleep disorders and quality of life were registered. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization criteria.

Metabolic syndrome was reported in 8% of the population. When subdividing patients based on positivity to metabolic syndrome criteria, no significant differences in motor and cognitive function, as well as quality of life and sleep disorders were observed between groups. However, patients with metabolic syndrome showed worse scores in Non-Motor Symptom Scale compared to patients without the syndrome, especially gastrointestinal, mood/apathy, sexual function, perceptual and miscellaneous symptoms. No significant differences in clinical correlates were observed when grouping patients based on which single metabolic syndrome component was present.

Metabolic syndrome might have an effect on non-motor symptomatology in PD, as patients with metabolic syndrome showed worse scores in Non-Motor Symptom Scale.