I am 78 years old and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 2.5 years ago. There is talk of factors, such as smoking and coffee consumption, that may offer some protection against Parkinson’s. In my case, I have been a moderate smoker and have drunk two to three mugs of coffee a day. I have had my thyroid gland removed and only have half a parathyroid gland left. I am wondering whether this operation may have contributed to my Parkinson’s disease?

There are isolated reports of Parkinson’s developing due to a lack of parathyroid hormone, and of Parkinson’s-like symptoms arising from disturbances in thyroid hormones, but no definitive links have been established. It is, of course, important to monitor these hormones following the type of operation you describe. /Dag Nyholm