In participants with Parkinson's disease, the study showed that their hair exhibited lower levels of iron and copper, while the concentrations of manganese and arsenic were significantly higher. The most noticeable difference was the decrease in iron levels, which, according to the researchers, could be useful in diagnostics, as hair reflects long-term changes in the body, unlike blood or saliva tests.
In experiments on mice, it was found that the decrease in iron levels in hair is associated with impaired intestinal function. In animals that exhibited symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease, a weakened barrier function of the intestine and changes in the activity of genes responsible for iron absorption were recorded. This supports the hypothesis of a connection between gut health and brain activity in neurodegenerative diseases.
The authors of the study emphasize that the obtained data are preliminary and require verification on larger samples. If the results are confirmed, hair analysis could become a new method for the early detection of Parkinson's disease.
