Minerva

Developing diabetes before Parkinson’s disease is a risk factor for more severe parkinsonian symptoms, according to a case-control study (Neurology 2012;78:1507, doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182553cc9). At the start of the study, patients with diabetes were similar to controls in terms of demographics, lifestyle, and general medical features, except for statin use. But people with diabetes had higher scores on the Parkinson’s rating scale, more difficulties with activities of daily living, and were receiving higher doses of levodopa than controls.

Although five year survival after a diagnosis of non-small lung cancer is used as a measure of long term survival, what happens beyond those five years is unclear. Analysis of data from a large lung cancer registry showed that five year survivors have an increased risk of death up to 18 years from diagnosis, with lung cancer killing more than half of them. Young age, node negative disease, and lobar or greater resection are associated …