Hair color, family history of melanoma, and the risk of Parkinson's disease: An analysis update

Background: A shared biological component between melanoma and Parkinson's disease (PD) has been suggested. Yet, epidemiological evidence is scarce. Objective: To examine the association of hair color and family history of melanoma, two strong predictors of melanoma risk, with the occurrence of PD. Methods: We followed 131,342 women and men for ∼30 years for the development of PD. We calculated the cumulative incidence of PD from ages 40 to 90 according to hair color, and estimated the hazard ratio of PD according to hair color and family history of melanoma. Results: Hair color was not strongly associated with the risk of PD, especially at advanced ages. In contrast, individuals with a family history of melanoma had a 1.4-fold higher risk of PD compared to those without a history. Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis of a shared biological component between PD and melanoma. Both pigmentary and non-pigmentary pathways may play a role.