Causes of vascular parkinsonism
Vascular Parkinsonism begins when there is damage in the blood vessels in the brain that are in charge of motor skills. The most common cause of this health condition is the occurrence of a series of strokes that disrupts the flow of blood to certain parts of the brain. A stroke in the brain or brain attack is similar to a heart attack, they are both caused by blocked blood vessels.
A stroke can result from poorly managed high blood pressure, which makes the passage of blood to the vessels narrow and therefore restricts the adequate flow of blood. A stroke may also arise from the buildup of fatty materials in the artery, this is known as atherosclerosis. This brain attack can also arise when there is a blood clot in a blood vessel in the brain or in the body, this causes the blood flow to break off and lodge in the artery thereby disrupting the flow of blood to the brain tissue.
In the case of ischemic stroke [3], the blockage needs to be removed with medical treatment so that the normal flow of blood can continue. There are other factors that may also increase the risk of vascular Parkinsonism, such as:
- Diabetes [4]
- Smoking
- Being male
- Older Age
- Obesity
- High blood pressure or hypertension.
- High cholesterol level.
- Atrial fibrillation
- Cardiovascular disease [5], like coronary artery disease.