Hair Clues Point to Metal Imbalances in Parkinson's

In a small study of 60 Parkinson's patients and matched controls, researchers found distinctive metal profiles in hair—lower iron and copper with higher manganese and arsenic—raising the possibility of a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker. Mouse data linked hair iron deficiency to gut dysfunction, highlighting a gut–brain connection; further, larger studies are needed to confirm causality and mechanism and to validate hair metal patterns as a PD diagnostic tool.