[c3534l]

My grandmother had Parkinson's and it was awful. How long until I can go to the doctor, get some blood drawn, and see if I'll develop it one day?

[EvanAnderson]

What would you do if you found out you would? (I ask as someone whose great-grandfather, great-uncle, and grandfather all had Parkinson’s.)

I’ve avoided any testing because, as far as I know, there’s nothing preventative to be done. I’d love to hear otherwise. I’ve broached the subject with my last two primary care physicians and both advised that there was no point in knowing.

[techwiz137]

If you know for certain, then you might do things you otherwise wouldn't.

E.g decide to have children or not, plan a will. Live life to the max. Potentially get a head start on treatment if one were ultimately available, even if super experimental and maybe even not working in the end.

Honestly, there are many reasons to know beforehand and not a lot of reasons to not know.

[melling]

Yes, the age old debate of knowing versus not knowing.

I think I’ll skip it because it’s not productive.

However, I will point out that your average billionaire with a few decades of advanced notice might be willing to fund research:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2022/12/09/exclusiv...

[Barrin92]

>What would you do if you found out you would?

There's quite a few big decisions to make, no? Preparing financially, making plans for when you're going to retire or what to do before, whether you want to have kids and put them through this, and so on.

If I found out I had a degenerative disease at the very least I'd opt for an egg or sperm donation and not delay having kids. You probably don't want to be in declining health while they're growing up.

[giantg2]

There are lifestyle factors that are supposed to slow the onset and progression. Granted most of those, like exercise, are supposed to be things we do anyways.

[nisegami]

I think if you find out young enough you can probably try to follow a different trajectory in life. Maybe abstain from stuff like finding a partner, having kids, buying a home or saving for retirement. Make plans to end up in circumstances where you're eligible for MAID and just vibe until you're ready to use it.

[Workaccount2]

Pick up a nicotine addiction.

Seriously, it has long been understood that people who smoke have dramatically lower levels of parkinsons. It comes from the neuroprotective properties of nicotine. You don't have to become a smoker, you could theoretically use any of the other forms (vape, gum, patch)

[c3534l]

That's a good question. I'm not sure. But it feels like something I'd want to either prepare myself for or just have the relief it won't happen to me.

[FollowingTheDao]

> I’ve avoided any testing because, as far as I know, there’s nothing preventative to be done. I’d love to hear otherwise.

Parkinson's is a nutritional disorder combined with genetic risk.

Zinc and Parkinson's https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8125092/

Pyridoxine (B6) and Parkison's https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajmg.b.30198

Riboflavin and Parkinson's https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2017.0033...

Nutrition and Parkinson's https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02938409

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2014.0003...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00747...

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12883-014-0212-1

[PaulKeeble]

You could do a genetic test, Parkinsons has well associated genetic markers and consumer level companies can do testing of this (and others). 23 and me have a bit on it.

https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/parkin...

[mtlmtlmtlmtl]

Although if 23andme say you don't have the genes, you might still have them. Also they'll probably sell your data.

[Palomides]

it's not a trivially heritable disease, genetic testing can't tell you with any real confidence if you'll develop symptoms

edit: you may be able to contact a parkinson's genetics counselor specialist which may be more useful