Hospital-treated infectious diseases, infection burden and risk of Parkinson disease
/ScienceDirect/2026
Why It Matters
This caught my attention because it suggests infections severe enough to need hospital care might contribute to neurodegenerative processes years later. The dose-response relationship (more infections = higher risk) strengthens the case that this isn't just correlation. If you're thinking long-term about brain health, this adds another reason to take infection prevention seriously — though we're talking about hospital-level infections here, not your average cold.
Key Findings
- 37% increased Parkinson's risk among people with any hospital-treated infection compared to those without
- Dose-response relationship observed: risk increased with cumulative number of different infection types requiring hospitalization
- Association held after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic factors, and comorbidities that might confound the relationship
- Hospital-level infections tracked, meaning serious infections requiring inpatient care rather than mild community infections
- Temporal relationship suggests infections preceded Parkinson's diagnosis, supporting potential causal pathway rather than reverse causation