The Parkinson's Connection

The National Institute on Aging reports that social isolation and loneliness are linked to higher risks of many illnesses including cognitive decline and depression.  The CDC has reported that social isolation is associated with a  50% increase in dementia. Add the recent isolation forced by the Covid pandemic and a Parkinson's diagnosis on top of all that and you have a recipe for worsening health.  Dr. Indu Subramanian, a Movement Disorder specialist from UCLA, notes that loneliness in Parkinson's disease may lead to symptom severity.  She states, "the negative impact of loneliness on symptom severity is as large as the positive impact of exercise."