After yesterday's blog about people with low levels of bad cholesterol, it has us all preconditioned to suspect that a heart healthy lifestyle may not be a lifestyle that prevents Parkinson's disease. To add to the confusion, this Reuter's Health Information story reports on a study published in this month's journal Neurology, that argues that having a high body mass index (being overweight) actually increases people's risk of developing Parkinson's disease. (Note: you may have to register for a username and password with MedScape.)
So, should a person worry about their weight and cholesterol or not? Definitely, we all should. The results of heart disease and strokes are death or significant amounts of misery. Furthermore, we do not know if lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) will actually minimize the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Please enjoy the fruits of exercise and reasonably healthy meals.