Objective: To investigate the role of depletion or excess of various heavy metals on clinical characteristics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) developing PD dementia in drug-naïve patients.

Background: While heavy metals are considered an important environmental factor in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis, studies regarding heavy metal levels and non-motor symptoms of PD, such as PD’s dementia (PD-D), are lacking.

Method: In this retrospective cohort study, we compared five serum heavy metal levels (Zn, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Mn) of newly diagnosed PD patients (n = 124) and an age-matched control group (n = 30). We collected clinical parameters of PD and conducted correlation analysis with heavy metal levels. PD-D conversion time was defined as the initiation time of cholinesterase inhibitors, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify factors associated with dementia conversion in PD subjects.

Results: The serum Mn level was higher, and the Zn level was lower in PD patients than in the control group, and Zn deficiency was also significantly more frequent in the PD-D group than in the PD non-dementia group. Lower serum Zn level was significantly correlated with K-MMSE and LEDD at three months, while Mn showed no relevance for PD clinical parameters. Zn deficiency also contributed to a shorter time to dementia conversion

Conclusion: This clinical study suggests that a low serum Zn level can be a risk factor for developing PD and could be used as a biological marker for PD-D conversion.

« Back to 2023 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/serum-zinc-deficiency-could-be-associated-with-dementia-conversion-in-parkinsons-disease/