Premenopausal Bilateral Oophorectomy Correlated with Increased PD Risk

On October 26, 2022, Walter A. Rocca, MD, MPH, and his colleagues published an article in JAMA Network Open on the association of premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy with Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk. The study concluded that those at average risk of ovarian cancer and who opted for a premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy had an increased risk of developing PD.

Using data from the Mayo Clinic Cohort Study of Oophorectomy and Aging 1 and 2, researchers collected information on 2,750 women in Minnesota who underwent a bilateral oophorectomy for beginning indications between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 2007. All the participants had undergone the oophorectomy before menopause. The data from these individuals was compared to 2,749 women in the general population who did not experience a bilateral oophorectomy.

The study’s results found that women undergoing premenopausal bilateral oophorectomies were 59% more likely to develop parkinsonism. Researchers in the publication shared that “in this population-based cohort study, bilateral oophorectomy was associated with an increased risk of parkinsonism overall and in women who were younger than 43 years at surgery, and there was a significant linear pattern of increasing risk with younger age at oophorectomy.”

In addition to noting the association with PD risk, Rocca and his colleagues also compared this study with other preceding publications. They note that an earlier study published in 2001 linked premenopausal hysterectomy with an increased likelihood of developing PD. Conversely, other studies did not confirm this correlation.

Despite the conflicting conclusions from various studies, the investigators in this publication believe that the evidence collected points to the relatively strong link between premenopausal oophorectomy and PD risk.

Rocca and his colleagues conclude, “the findings confirmed the hypothesis that age at oophorectomy was associated with parkinsonism and PD and provided some explanation for the conflicting results from previous studies. The NNHs found in this study suggested that a reduction in the practice of prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy in premenopausal women at average risk of ovarian cancer may have a substantial impact in reducing the risk of parkinsonism and PD.”

Future studies may consider iterations of this research on a global scale. Additional study directions may seek to understand the reasons behind this correlation better.