In the very early stages of the disease, the body goes through changes related to DNA repair and stress in cells. These changes leave detectable clues in the blood before major brain damage<\/a> occurs, according to a press release for the study.<\/p>\n This could allow for early detection of Parkinson’s, when treatments might have a better chance of slowing or preventing serious damage.<\/p>\n NEW VITAMIN COMPOUND SHOWS PROMISE FOR REVERSING ALZHEIMER’S DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN<\/a><\/p>\n The processes of DNA repair and cellular stress response can occur for up to 20 years in Parkinson\u2019s patients before motor symptoms fully develop, according to the researchers.<\/p>\n The team used machine learning to discover patterns linked to these processes, which were not found in healthy individuals<\/a> or patients who were already diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n European researchers discovered a way to detect early Parkinson\u2019s disease via a blood test. (iStock)<\/p>\n Annikka Polster, assistant professor at the Department of Life Sciences at Chalmers, who led the study, suggested in a statement that the study has found an “important window of opportunity” in which the disease can be detected “before motor symptoms caused by nerve damage in the brain appear.”<\/p>\n “The fact that these patterns only show at an early stage and are no longer activated when the disease has progressed further also makes it interesting to focus on the mechanisms to find future treatments<\/a>,” she added.<\/p>\n ‘HARMLESS’ VIRUS FOUND LURKING IN PARKINSON’S PATIENTS’ BRAINS, NEW STUDY SHOWS<\/a><\/p>\n Polster confirmed that the study<\/a> highlighted biomarkers that “likely reflect some of the early biology of the disease,” which “paves the way for broad screening tests via blood samples: a cost-effective, easily accessible method.”<\/p>\n The findings were published in npj Parkinson\u2019s Disease.<\/p>\n Blood tests for early Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis could become more common, researchers predicted. (iStock)<\/p>\n The researchers plan to further develop tools to more easily detect these active mechanisms and understand how they work, according to the university.<\/p>\n The team predicts that within five years, blood tests for early Parkinson\u2019s diagnoses could become more common within clinical practice. They are also optimistic about the development of new drugs<\/a> to prevent or treat the disease.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n “If we can study the mechanisms as they happen, it could provide important keys to understanding how they can be stopped and which drugs might be effective,” Polster said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “This may involve new drugs, but also drug re-purposing, where we can use drugs developed for diseases other than Parkinson\u2019s because the same gene activities or mechanisms are active.”<\/p>\n More than 10 million people around the world are estimated to be living with Parkinson’s disease. (iStock)<\/p>\n Study limitations \u00a0<\/p>\n The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations, including that the gene activity measured in the blood only partly matches what’s happening in the brain.<\/p>\n External factors, such as medication use, may have affected the results, they added.<\/p>\n Also, the study population may not represent all people, so findings may not apply broadly.<\/p>\n By the numbers<\/p>\n More than 10 million people around the world are estimated to be living with Parkinson’s disease, according to the Parkinson\u2019s Foundation. About 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n Numbers are expected to continue rising, as Parkinson\u2019s is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n While research is advancing, there is currently no cure for the disease, although medications are available to manage symptoms.<\/p>\n Common motor symptoms of Parkinson’s include tremors, slowed movement, muscle stiffness, balance and walking difficulties. (iStock)<\/p>\n Common motor symptoms include tremors, slowed movement, muscle stiffness, balance and walking difficulties, a shuffling gait and freezing episodes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Non-motor symptoms include loss of smell, sleep problems<\/a>, constipation, fatigue, depression or anxiety, speech and swallowing changes, cognitive slowing and reduced facial expression, according to Parkinson’s Foundation and Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Danish Anwer, a doctoral student at the Department of Life Sciences at Chalmers and the study\u2019s first author, detailed in a statement how Parkinson\u2019s impacts the brain.<\/p>\n “By the time the motor symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s disease appear, 50% to 80% of the relevant brain cells are often already damaged or gone,” he said. “The study is an important step toward facilitating early identification of the disease and counteracting its progression before it has gone this far.”<\/p>\n “By the time you have actual motor symptoms \u2026 a large majority of affected cells have been damaged and destroyed.”<\/p>\n Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel agreed that Parkinson’s is a “very difficult disease” with an increasing global impact.<\/p>\n “By the time you have actual motor symptoms affecting gait, tremor, etc., a large majority of affected cells<\/a> have been damaged and destroyed,” he told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n![\"Patient](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-1463489972.jpg\")
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