Symposium: Diet in Primary Prevention of Disease - Can We Prevent Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease?

Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's (AD) are major progressive neurological disorders, the risk of which increases with advancing age (65 years and over). In familial cases, however, early onset of disease (about 35 years) is observed. In spite of extensive basic and clinical research on PD and AD, no preventive or long-term effective treatment strategies are available. Several studies have indicated that oxidative stress is a major risk factor for the initiation and progression of sporadic PD and AD. Even a-synuclein and b-amyloid fragments that are associated with the PD and AD, respectively, mediate part of their action via oxidative stress. Therefore, reducing oxidative stress appears to be a rational choice for the prevention and reduction in the rate of progression of these neurological disorders. This review provides a brief description of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of PD and AD, and the scientific rationale for the use of multiple antioxidants in the prevention of these neurological diseases.