Overuse of antibiotics can lead to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease according to a study published recently in the journal Movement Disorders.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder associated with build-up of alpha-synuclein, a neuronal protein that affects movement. Symptoms progress gradually over many years and can begin with simple hand tremors and can culminate in complete disability and even death. It afflicts up to 10 million people worldwide with 1 million cases in the United States alone. The prevalence of the disease increases with age, particularly after the age of 50.