Exercising before and after being diagnosed with depression can reduce the risk for Parkinson’s disease — a risk that goes up if you stop, according to a new study.
People who became active after being diagnosed with depression didn’t lower their risk, the authors found. The study was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
“Promoting regular [physical activity] across lifetime would be the key to reduce future Parkinson’s disease in individuals with depression,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers say that depression is commonly reported before people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Having depression is linked to a 1.5 to 3.2-fold increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Data came from health records from 1.34 million people who were newly diagnosed with depression between 2010 and 2016. The researchers evaluated the participants’ physical activity levels before and after the people were diagnosed with depression, using information from questionnaires.
When the researchers followed up over 5.3 years, 0.66% of the people developed Parkinson’s disease. Those who were physically active before and after they were diagnosed with depression had a 10% lower risk compared to those who didn’t workout regularly. People who stopped working out after they were diagnosed with depression were about 10% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
“It is possible that there is a biological ‘tipping point’ in the development of [Parkinson’s] that render the neurodegenerative process irreversible,” the authors wrote. “Once an individual reaches this critical point, delaying the onset of [Parkinson’s] through lifestyle changes alone may become challenging.”
People who stay active physically may have a “motor reserve” that compensates for the motor declines that can trigger Parkinson’s disease, the authors said.
The team said a longer follow-up period would help how exercise impacts the development of the disease. Future research should also examine the severity of depression.
