Participants with Parkinson's disease showed reduced levels of copper and iron in their hair, as well as increased concentrations of manganese and arsenic. The most noticeable difference was the decrease in iron content, which, according to scientists, may serve as a potential diagnostic marker. This is related to the fact that hair reflects long-term changes in the body, unlike blood or saliva tests.
Experiments on mice showed that the reduced iron content in hair is associated with intestinal dysfunction. Animals displaying symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease exhibited impaired intestinal barrier function and altered activity of genes responsible for iron absorption. This supports the theory of the connection between the gut and the brain in neurodegenerative diseases.
The authors of the study emphasize that the work at this stage is preliminary and requires validation on larger samples. If the results are confirmed, hair analysis could become a simple and effective method for the early detection of Parkinson's disease in the future.
