New study to investigate link between Parkinson's, metabolism and GLP-1 medications
A new study aims to understand insulin resistance in people with Parkinson’s, and how this could inform future drug trials.
We’ve known for a while that people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop Parkinson’s, and that the risk increases the longer you have diabetes.
Why might GLP-1 medications improve Parkinson’s symptoms?
Some scientists believe that a group of diabetes medications called GLP-1 inhibitors, also used to treat obesity, could be an effective treatment for Parkinson’s.
That’s because they work by helping specific cells in the pancreas to extract more glucose from the blood. If they can do the same for the energy-hungry dopamine-producing cells in the brain, that could mean dopamine levels stay higher for longer, reducing the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Several studies have investigated the effects of GLP-1 drugs on people with Parkinson’s, but the results have so far been mixed.
Read our summary of diabetes drug trial results so far.
What are researchers hoping to find out?
Our Future Health is a research programme which has collected health data from over 2.7 million volunteers in the UK, including many with Parkinson’s. Researchers from Imperial College London will now use that data to try to identify the early warning signs of Parkinson’s.
This kind of study uses only data that has already been collected from volunteers, so it’s quicker and cheaper than recruiting a new group of participants, then monitoring them for years. Researchers will take the data of people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, then look back in their records to see what patterns they can spot, especially those related to metabolism (how food is converted into energy).
The researchers wrote: "Using Our Future Health data, we can look for early signs of metabolic problems in people who go on to develop Parkinson’s, and check whether these signs mark out a group who would respond well to the medicines.
"If we are right, doctors could one day use a simple test to work out who is most likely to benefit. Future studies of the medicine could then focus on the right people, improving chances of success."
Dr Becky Jones, Research Communications Lead at Parkinson’s UK, says: "It’s fantastic to see such a commitment to Parkinson’s research enabled by initiatives such as Our Future Health. Using large amounts of information from population studies like this gives us the chance to spot patterns that will help improve care and treatment options in the future.
"We’re proud to be an affiliate charity of Our Future Health and look forward to continue working with them."
Take part in Our Future Health
Our Future Health aims to use health information from 5 million volunteers to help us all live longer and healthier lives. They’re looking for people with and without Parkinson’s across the UK to take part. Find out how you can join on our Take Part Hub.
Join 11,000 members of the Parkinson's community and regularly hear about the latest research news, events and opportunities to get involved by joining our free Research Support Network.
There is strong evidence that diabetes and Parkinson’s may be connected, and diabetes drugs are now being explored for use in Parkinson's. Take a look at the research behind this on our blog.