Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. Ahead of Print: TKDA-40390 | DOI: 10.5543/tkda.2025.40390

The Role of Metabo-inflammatory Syndrome and Ferropathological Processes in Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in Parkinson’s Disease: Insights from High-Resolution Carotid Duplex Analysis

Esra Demir Ünal
Department of Neurology, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Medical Faculty Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye

OBJECTIVE
Peripheral metabo-inflammatory disturbance and ferropathological processes are closely interlinked to the steno-occlusive pathologies in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but still needs to be elucidated. We aim to investigate the cardio-metabolic risk stratification in PD within the context of peripheral metabo-inflammatory and ferropathological disturbances, and analyze the role of iron-related interruptions in carotid atherosclerosis.

METHODS
This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted using high-resolution carotid duplex studies. The risk stratification for metabolic syndrome (MetS) was determined by the arithmetic ratio of lipids to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Inter-correlative and multinominal regression analyses were used for the comparative statistical evaluation.

RESULTS
PD patients tended more toward cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherogenicity. The calcified plaque formation and Type-4 stenosis pattern were found to be significantly higher (x^2=21.717, x^2=60.609)(p<0.001), along with disturbed peripheral iron correlation analyses in PD. Also, a greater risk for MetS (Cholesterol/HDL-C(p=0.015(z=2.434), triglyceride/HDL-C (p=0.013(z=2.471)) and augmented inflammatory hematological ratios were determined in PD. In multinominal regression analysis, a 1-unit increase in HbA1c value increases plaque formation risk-containing classification by 1.967 times (Odds Ratio=1.967), and a 1-unit increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol value increases 1 time (Odds Ratio=0.981) (Cox-Snell=0.266, Nagelkerke=0.294).

CONCLUSION
PD patients have revealed a greater risk of CVD and atherosclerotic plaque complications and a close relationship between MetS with higher Cholesterol/HDL-C and triglyceride/HDL-C ratios. Also, there was a greater risk for oxidative stress-related atherothrombotic complications via augmented inflammatory ratios and disturbed ferropathologic process. Peripheral iron disturbance did not show an important relationship with stenosis patterns.

Keywords: Atherosclerotic plaque formation, ferropathological processes, high-resolution carotid duplex studies, inflammatory hematological ratios, intercorrelation analyses, metabolic syndrome

---

CITE