Could Liver Disease Affect Your Brain - Article Health

You may have seen recent headlinesthis link opens in a new tab tying hepatitis to Parkinson's disease. In a study published in the journal Neurology, researchers reported that people who have hepatitis B or C may have a higher risk of developing the neurodegenerative brain disorder.

But the finding shouldn't be cause for alarm, stresses Andrew Feigin, MD, professor of neurology at Northwell Health's Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. It doesn't mean that hepatitis causes Parkinson’s, he says. Nor does it mean that having hepatitis automatically means you’ll get Parkinson’s. Far from it. Even if the data were confirmed, infection with the virus would just be another in the maze of risk factors that contribute to developing the disorder, which affects movement, mostly in people over the age of 60.

“There’s no one cause of Parkinson’s,” says Dr. Feigin, who was not involved in the new study. “There are a lot of different factors that lead up to one person having a risk and another person having a different risk.”

The risks are both genetic and environmental. Two we know about are growing up on a farm and being exposed to pesticides; and growing up in very industrial areas with heavy metals in the air and water. Others are still unknown.

Hepatitis B is spread through blood and bodily fluids like semen, so unprotected sex, sharing needles, or even razors or toothbrushes can put you at risk. Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood. Sharing needles, razors, and toothbrushes will put you at risk, but rarely does unprotected sex. Both viruses, if left unchecked, can damage the liver.

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