Cardiometabolic factors and disease duration in patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective: Previous studies have reported that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a favorable cardiometabolic risk profile. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiometabolic risk factors and the duration of disease. Methods: One hundred and fifty patients with PD (56.7% men) were studied, measuring body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage (BF%) by impedance, fasting glucose, serum lipids, and transaminases. Results: In sex- and age-adjusted correlation models, duration of PD was inversely related to BMI (r= -0.20; P < 0.05) and BF% (r = -0.29; P < 0.005). Using multivariable regression models (adjustments: age, gender, smoking status, levodopa dose and, alternatively, BMI, WC, or BF%), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were positively correlated with disease duration (P < 0.01 for all). In models adjusted for WC and BF%, total HDL-cholesterol ratio was also inversely associated with duration of PD (P < 0.05 for both). No other association between biochemical variables and the duration of PD was found. Moreover, no dose-response effect of levodopa on metabolic risk factors was observed. Conclusions: HDL levels and total HDL-cholesterol ratio were favorably associated with duration of PD. This factor may contribute to cardiometabolic protection in PD. The mechanisms underlying this association deserve further investigation.