Platelets induce chronic inflammation which is a key step in atherosclerosis and may be involved in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDD). We aimed to measure the mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PLC) in NDD patients. The present study was designed to investigate the platelet function by measuring MPV and PLC in NDD. A total of 182 outpatients with Alzheimer’s (AD) or Parkinson’s diseases (PD) were included. The control group consisted of 104 healthy subjects. Platelet count was similar between groups. MPV values of PD patients were higher than those of AD patients and controls ( ). MPV correlated negatively with Heohn and Yahr scale (HYS) score ( ). Increased MPV in patients with PD may point to a platelet dysfunction. High-grade inflammation presents with low levels of MPV as seen in PD patients with high HYS scores. 1. Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorders (NDD) in the elderly, and vascular risk factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of both diseases [1, 2]. It is well known that the disrupted microvascular integrity in brain parenchyma may play a role in the chain of events ending with AD [1–6]. Besides atherosclerosis, many reports suggest that inflammation may be involved in neurodegenerative disorders [7]. Amyloid beta 42 plays a central role in the neurodegenerative process and triggers inflammation in AD. Although molecular basis is not known, interleukins and cytokines may induce the activation of signaling pathways leading to further inflammation, neuronal injury, and later neuronal death [7]. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use may decrease the incidence of AD and this knowledge supports the role of inflammation in AD pathogenesis [7]. On the other hand, there are conflicting results about PD. The commonly known risk factors are less frequently seen in the patients with PD [8]. Cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction is less frequent in PD patients too [9, 10]. In contrast, some new articles reported that cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and central obesity, have been associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but data on blood pressure and PD are still lacking [2, 11, 12]. Qiu et al. suggested that hypertension was associated with an increased risk of PD and optimal control of blood pressure might reduce the incidence of PD in women [2, 11, 12]. Also we know that the treatment with levodopa increases blood homocysteine, and high levels of homocysteine may be associated
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