Can Parkinson’s Cause Kidney Problems?

Parkinson’s disease is one of the leading neurological diseases. It’s a neurodegenerative disorder that exhibits motor and non-motor symptoms such as rigidity, tremors, postural abnormalities, depression, and GIT disturbances. 

Can Parkinson’s cause kidney problems? Many studies have shown that Parkinson’s disease is on the rise, and a trend with CKD has been observed.

Here is a related article that might interest you on Detailed Guide To Parkinson’s Disease.

The disease does not damage kidneys directly. But rather contribute to the factors like blood pressure, Vitamin D abnormalities, and Red blood cell deranged metabolism. 

However, these correlations are still under study and research.  

How Can A Neurodegenerative Disease Cause A Kidney Problem? Can Parkinson’s Cause Kidney Problems? 

Some studies have shown a relationship between chronic kidney disease and Parkinson’s disease. Chronic kidney disease and Parkinson’s disease both share many common risk factors, such as:

• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Dyslipidaemia 

Although, it’s not common to come across patients with Parkinson’s disease and chronic kidney disease with its associations.

Parkinson’s disease has been shown to affect the kidney by causing chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. This can result in several metabolic derangements, hypoxia, toxins, and acidosis, which cause brain edema, particularly basal ganglia. This will lead to permanent Parkinson’s disease due to cytotoxic derangements by damaged kidneys. 

A kidney transplant can be a way out of the vicious cycle thought to be created between Parkinson’s disease and kidney damage.

Along with the transplant, the immunosuppressant’s given in the process can act as a preventive measure for the permanent development of Parkinson’s disease. This happens by interfering with the pathophysiology and reducing inflammations.

Another cause is triggered acute renal failure, mainly due to rhabdomyolysis. Parkinson’s disease can be further more complicated due to rhabdomyolysis. This can lead to a sudden renal shutdown, i.e., Acute renal failure. 

There can be two types of cases with rhabdomyolysis, one complicated by oligo-anuric renal failure, and this usually occurs in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Many Parkinson’s diseases have non-motor symptoms. These are the symptoms that are not movement-related. These symptoms appear because of the disruption and disturbance in the body’s autonomic nervous system. 

Functions affected n this way are heart rate, blood pressure, GIT functions, urination, sweating, and sexual functions. Parkinson’s patients can face none, one, or even all of them.

Urinary dysfunction s what shows problems with the kidney and system either anatomically or non-anatomically. Bowel dysfunction before the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but urinary symptoms occur at later stages.

There are mainly two functions of the urinary bladder; to hold the urine, i.e., to store it, and then to empty the bladder when desired. People who have Parkinson’s disease may have the urge to 

• Urinate frequently 
• The problem is holding it for a long. 
• Urinary urgency.
• Hesitancy
• Difficulty in generating stream.
• Dystonia.

This means you have developed an overactive bladder. The bladder signals the brain as it is full even when it’s not, and there is a strong desire to micturate then. This will also result in nocturnal urination resulting in disturbed sleep.

This can be made better by using oxybutynin, Tolterodine, Solifenacin, and Darifenacin to treat the activity and urinary frequency, and urgency.

For emptying the bladder bethanechol, catheterization can be done. The best will involve a nephrologist, urologist, and neurologist to modify your medications and lifestyle. 

Uremic toxins have also been thought to play a role in Parkinson’s disease. The impairment or weakening of the blood-brain barrier results in the diffusion of toxins produced through the kidney entering the brain and affecting brain functions, causing toxicity there.

Parkinson’s Drugs and their Side Effects on Kidneys

Parkinson’s drugs have also been researched for kidney damage. Although it can be seen as a side effect of many Parkinson’s drugs, There is no solid evidence, and many studies are underway. In a research, a 90-year-old parkinsonian woman treated with 

Levodopa-Benserazide and Bornaprine developed rhabdomyolysis and were found unconscious on the floor. 

Although there is little evidence, some clinical cases have been observed. 

Conclusion

Evidence-wise, there is a low prevalence of Parkinson’s disease and kidney diseases, but many cases on the rise have developed suspicion of this relation. Many studies are on under work for this cause.

Parkinson’s disease patients have sufficient glomerular filtration rate and low serum creatinine; hence overall good renal function test (RFTS). 

Another post that will interest you is about the Best 10 Parkinson’s Podcasts In 2022.

More studies on a grander scale are required to explore the connection between two organs and their diseases under the same phenomena.

Being aware of symptoms and how to manage them as soon as possible can be a step ahead in preventing irreversible kidney damage and delaying further neurodegenerative damage.

It is better to bring all your problems without hesitancy to healthcare workers’ notice so that effective management can be done.