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Medical News Today
November 13, 2023
Parkinson’s disease can be diagnosed only once motor symptoms begin, by which time the nervous system has been damaged. New research suggests that changes in the heart precede the symptomatic stage of the disease. Using PET scans, researchers found that low levels of dopamine in the heart were strong predictors of later development of PD or dementia with Lewy bodies. Michael S. Okun, MD, national medical advisory for the Parkinson’s Foundation, provides commentary.