VOLUME 30, ISSUE 3 • September 2026. Full issue »

It's time to talk primary prevention for Parkinson's disease: The 8 C's

For decades, conversations about Parkinson’s disease have started after the diagnosis. We have focused on recognizing symptoms, selecting medications, and helping people live well. Those conversations remain critically important. But today, we believe it is time to broaden the discussion. In order to stop the rising numbers of people who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year, we must look earlier than the moment of diagnosis. It is time to talk about preventing Parkinson’s disease before it begins.

This idea is known as primary prevention. It asks a simple but powerful question: Can we reduce the chances that Parkinson’s disease develops in the first place? While we do not yet have all the answers, we now know enough to begin taking meaningful action. That was the driving force behind the first Parkinson’s Disease Prevention Think Tank in November 2025 at the Fixel Institute at the University of Florida, where experts from neurology, epidemiology, environmental science, public health, agriculture, advocacy, and policy came together to create a roadmap for the future. The think tank was sponsored by the Parkinson’s Foundation and represents the first step toward action against the environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease. The results of the discussion yielded a practical framework we call the 8 C's.

The 8 C's: A Practical Framework

Count. We must accurately count Parkinson’s disease. Without reliable information on who develops Parkinson's, where they live, and how incidence changes over time, we cannot know whether prevention efforts are working.

Cohorts. We need large, diverse, long-term studies that follow people over many years. These cohorts should combine genetics, environmental exposures, lifestyle, biomarkers, and digital health technologies to help us better understand why Parkinson’s develops in some individuals but not others.

Change. Scientific discoveries should lead to policy change. When evidence links certain environmental chemicals to increased Parkinson's risk, regulatory agencies and policymakers should carefully evaluate that evidence and act when appropriate to protect public health.

Counsel. Every clinician has an opportunity to discuss healthy behaviors with patients and families. Regular exercise, nutritious eating patterns, reducing unnecessary exposure to pesticides and industrial solvents, and using appropriate protective equipment in occupational settings are practical conversations worth having today.

Communicate. Parkinson’s remains one of the least understood common neurological diseases. Clear, honest communication helps people understand risk without creating fear. Good science communication empowers individuals and communities to make informed decisions.

Coalitions. Parkinson’s prevention should not occur in isolation. We can accomplish more by working alongside researchers, advocates, policymakers, and organizations focused on Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, dementia with Lewy bodies, and other brain disorders that share common biological and environmental challenges.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration. Solving Parkinson's prevention will require neurologists working alongside toxicologists, environmental scientists, engineers, behavioral psychologists, economists, data scientists, and, importantly, people living with Parkinson’s and their families.

Finally, Commitment. Prevention requires sustained investment. Research funding, public-private partnerships, community engagement, and long-term vision are all essential. Prevention is not a one-year project. It is a generational commitment.

We often remind people that many of medicine’s greatest public health successes began by asking prevention questions. Smoking cessation dramatically reduced lung cancer. Seat belts reduced motor vehicle deaths. Blood pressure control lowered stroke rates. These advances did not happen overnight. They happened because science, public policy, education, and advocacy worked together. We believe Parkinson’s disease deserves that same attention at all levels.

Primary prevention is not about promising certainty or assigning blame. It is about reducing risk where we can, learning from emerging science, and creating healthier environments for future generations. We have spent decades improving how we treat Parkinson’s disease. The next great challenge is preventing as many cases as possible before they ever begin. That conversation starts now.