The long road to neuroprotection for Parkinson's disease

People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, particularly those who have an early onset of diabetes (onset age 25–44 years) and a low BMI (<18·5 kg/m2).1 The Parkinson's disease course can be faster and more severe for individuals with type 2 diabetes than for those without type 2 diabetes, and it can be characterised by motor fluctuations in response to treatment occurring earlier and a more rapid decline in cognitive function.1–3 Inflammatory and metabolic drivers of Parkinson's disease,4 combined with microglia activity, could precede intracellular protein aggregation.