labman1984

PD researcher here. The problem seems to arise from the misfolding of many proteins (a-synuclein being the primary component in the aggregates known as Lewy Bodies) in particular neurons that are susceptible to stress and eventually death due to this stress. There's is a lot of research and modeling on whether our cell's ability to degrade this protein is compromised in these cells, and a number of association studies in humans and cellular and animal models seem to implicate these pathways, but as you said, at this time, there is no effective therapy to slow down the advance of pathology on the brain. Good luck to you, and I hope that the surgery will improve your daily living.

PD researcher here, we actually know that some families (albeit very small ones) harbor particular mutations in what are called the PARK family of genes that are highly penetrant between parents and their offspring. These tend to be families where PD is early-onset in the cases, which is what it seems like OP is. Askenazi Jews have genetic mutations that lead to multiple different neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD, PD, FTLD, etc. And to your last point, while it hasn't been observed that environmental factors can cause PD, they do pose increased or decreased risk, depending on what we're talking about, from pesticide exposure to caffeine drinking and smoking.

Actually, interestingly enough, smokers obviously have an increased risk in acquiring numerous cancers, such as lung, throat, etc, but actually have a decreased risk in acquiring PD. Makes for a very confusing set of circumstances.

It's a phenomenon that's not the case in AD though, so your assumption isn't exactly true. And many of the people that present with PD have onset ages similar to those with cancer diagnoses, so it's not merely a case of people living longer in the case of PD.