Parkinson’s
- Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition.
- People with Parkinson's don't have enough of a chemical called dopamine because specific nerve cells inside their brain have died. It is not known why these cells die.
- Without dopamine people can find that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things. This can make everyday activities, such as eating, getting dressed, or using a phone or computer, difficult or frustrating.
- The 3 main symptoms of Parkinson's are tremor, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement. But not everyone will experience all of these.
- As well as the symptoms that affect movement, people with Parkinson's can find that other issues, such as tiredness, pain, depression and constipation, can have an impact on their day-to-day lives.
- Parkinson's doesn't directly cause people to die, but symptoms do get worse over time.
- Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson's.
- One person in every 500 has Parkinson's. That's about 127,000 people in the UK.
- Most people who get Parkinson's are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too
- There is currently no cure for Parkinson's, but there are a range of treatments to control the symptoms and maintain quality of life.
- Medication is the main treatment for Parkinson's. Drugs work by restoring the level of dopamine in the brain or mimicking its actions, but can have side effects, including abnormal involuntary movements (dyskinesia) and impulsive and compulsive behaviour.
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a type of surgery where electrodes are implanted deep inside specific parts of the brain. The electrodes are connected to a small battery under the skin in the person's chest, to generate electrical signals to stimulate the brain. If successful, DBS can provide significant improvement in an individual's symptoms and quality of life, but DBS is not a suitable option for everyone with Parkinson's.
- Physical therapies such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy have an important role to play in the management of Parkinson's.
- As the UK's Parkinson's support and research charity we're leading the work to find a cure, and we're closer than ever.
- Parkinson's UK is the largest charity funder of Parkinson's research in Europe. Since 1969, we've invested over £80million in ground-breaking research.
- Since 1969, we've invested over £80million on research into all aspects of Parkinson's.”
- We bring people with Parkinson's, their carers and families together via our network of local groups, our website and free confidential helpline 0808 800 0303. Because we're here, no one has to face Parkinson's alone.
- Specialist Parkinson's nurses, our supporters and staff provide information and training on every aspect of Parkinson's.
- We campaign to change attitudes and demand better services.
- Our free and confidential helpline 0808 800 0303 provides help and advice to all people affected by Parkinson's. Usual helpline opening hours are Monday-Friday 9am-7pm and Saturday 10am-2pm.
- Our work is totally dependent on donations.
- Parkinson’s disease is named after Dr James Parkinson (1755-1824), the doctor that first identified the condition.
- It is caused by the loss of brain cells (neurones) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which produces the chemical messenger dopamine.
- As the cells die, less dopamine is produced and transported to the striatum, the area of the brain that co-ordinates movement. Symptoms develop when about 80% of dopamine has been lost.
- The reason that Parkinson’s disease develops is not known.
- Approximately 4 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Around 120,000 people in the UK have the condition.
- The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are tremor, slowness of movement (bradykinesia) and muscle stiffness or rigidity.
- The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in June 2006.
- There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but treatments can help control the symptoms and maintain quality of life.
- Parkinson’s disease can be treated with a combination of drug treatments and other therapies, for example, speech therapy, physiotherapy.
- The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease increases with age. Symptoms usually occur after the age of 50.
- Around 1 in 20 people are diagnosed under the age of 40 years.
The world continues to mourn boxing
legend Muhammad Ali who
died at 74 on Friday night from septic shock. Ali had been hospitalized
a few days earlier with a respiratory illness. A family spokesperson said his
death was “due to unspecified natural causes.” The heavyweight champion was 42 when he was diagnosed
with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 and became a global figure in the fight against the disease.
Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous
system that affects nerve cells in the brain and makes movement difficult,
affects an estimated one million people in the United States, according to the National
Parkinson Foundation. The disorder is chronic and progressive, affecting the nerve cells
that produce dopamine. When
these cells become impaired or die, the loss of dopamine leads to abnormal
nerve firings and impaired movements, including tremors, loss of balance,
and other problems, explains the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke.
There is no cure yet for the condition, but researchers say they’re
piecing together more clues about the roles of genetic and environmental factors.
Meanwhile, those diagnosed
can take many steps to protect their quality of life and enjoy family, career,
and retirement.
If you or a loved one has recently
been diagnosed, here are 10 essential facts you need to know:
1. Parkinson's disease is not just an ''old person's
disease." While the disorder is typically diagnosed at around age 60, younger people can
also be affected, says neurologist and movement disorder specialist
Rachel Dolhun, MD, vice president of medical communications at the The Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. "People who are younger can get this," Dr.
Dolhun says.
A prominent case in point is actor Michael J. Fox, now 54, who was
diagnosed in 1991 at age 29, she says. "We call it young-onset
Parkinson's at age 40 or under," Dolhun says. More typical, she says, is
to be diagnosed in your 50s or 60s.
2. The cause of Parkinson's is
still unknown. A combination of genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to
the risk of getting Parkinson's, says Catherine Kopil, PhD, director of
research programs for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Several genetic mutations have been found that are
linked to Parkinson's disease, and lifestyle may also play a role. Those who
drink caffeine-containing drinks, for instance, have been found to have a lower
risk of getting Parkinson's, although a cause-and-effect relationship has not
been proven.
3. Diagnosing Parkinson's disease isn't simple.
There's no specific test to
diagnose Parkinson's disease. Instead, doctors look for four cardinal features
of the movement disorder, says Hubert Fernandez, MD, the James and
Constance Brown Family Endowed Chair in Movement Disorders and professor of
medicine and neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in
Ohio. His update on Parkinson's disease, focusing on what is new in diagnostic
techniques and treatment, was published in September 2015 in the Cleveland
Clinic Journal of Medicine.
To diagnose the disease, doctors use the mnemonic TRAP:
·Tremor or shaking at rest, involving the thumb, entire hand, arm,
chin, lips, and feet
·Rigidity felt by the doctor when rotating a patient's wrist or elbow
·Akinesia or bradykinesia (lack of movement or slowness of movement) when
walking or swinging an arm
·Postural instability, making it necessary to hold onto something to
maintain balance when walking or rising from a chair
Doctors must rule out other conditions, such as medications that cause
the same symptoms, arthritis, or other medical issues. Observing
symptoms, plus taking a medical history and asking patients if they feel stiff,
slow, or shaky, is how the condition is typically diagnosed.
4. Parkinson's disease isn't just marked by tremors
and other outward symptoms. While those outward symptoms are used as the basis
for a diagnosis, the condition involves much more, Dolhun says. "There’s a lot that
doctors can't see," she says, calling them the “invisible symptoms” that
include sleep problems,
constipation, slurred speech, and mood problems such as depression.
Symptoms vary from one patient to
the next, Dolhun says. Indeed, there's an old saying, "If you’ve met one
patient with Parkinson's, you've met one patient with Parkinson's."
5. Educating yourself about
Parkinson’s can improve your quality of life. Good quality of life is possible
''if you seek good treatment and have a good plan," says Michael Okun, MD,
national medical director for the National Parkinson Foundation and author of
Parkinson's Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life.
Dr. Fernandez agrees and tells
patients that Parkinson's, like
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other chronic conditions, needs to
be managed daily. "The
more they know, the more they can advocate for themselves," says
Fernandez, who coauthored Ask the Doctor About Parkinson's Disease with Dr.
Okun.
6. Treatment should be tailored to
your symptoms and your preferences. While there is as yet no cure for
Parkinson's disease, treatment can help people live a good quality life. The primary
treatment for the tremors and rigidity is a carbidopa-levodopa combination drug, like Sinemet and Rytary, which is
thought to help replenish the lost dopamine. But symptoms of Parkinson's
disease not only vary from patient to patient — patients also report that they
aren't equally bothered by the same symptoms, Fernandez says. He always asks
his patients: What bothers you most?
For some, he says, it's the
constipation. Others tell him they're bothered by constantly shaking hands (tremor). "The
treatment plan should be tailored to the most pressing concern," Fernandez
says.
7. Clinical trials are worth
considering. Every time a Parkinson's disease patient visits their doctor, Okun
suggests they ask, ''What's new? Am I eligible for any new clinical trial?''
Research is constantly evolving, so it's worth asking if any trials fit your
situation.
"A lot of patients enrolled in clinical trials do better,'' he
says, ''partly because they are seen more often." Every
clinical trial has risks and benefits. There is a potential for harm or injury,
but the trial researchers should be sure those risks are minimized in relation
to the benefits. Enrolling may also give access to a treatment not otherwise
available. Before enrollment, trial administrators should spell out the risks
and benefits.
Besides checking in with the
doctor, anyone can look up clinical trials at ClinicalTrials.gov, part of the
National Institutes of Health. The Michael J. Fox Foundation site also has a
trial finder feature that matches patients with appropriate trials.
8. Stress can make the condition
worse; telling people about the condition can ease it. Stress can increase
symptoms, Dolhun says. For some, one source of that stress is hiding the
condition from coworkers, family, and friends, she says. "The majority of
people we talk to who say they have shared their story with family and friends
say they wish they would have done it sooner," she says.
9. Hospitalizations can be risky. Research has shown that
patients with Parkinson's disease are at risk for getting the wrong medicine at
the wrong time, and for contracting infections if they are hospitalized, which could lead to
deterioration in their overall health. While hospitalization is
sometimes necessary, Okun encourages patients to avoid hospital stays by
keeping on top of their treatment plan and taking medicine as directed — and to
get care in an outpatient center or medical clinic whenever possible.
10. Depression may affect more than half of all patients,
and anxiety affects about
40 percent. Both
anxiety and depression can affect the overall health of someone with
Parkinson's even more than motor symptoms do, according to the National
Parkinson Foundation. And
depression and anxiety often occur together, according to research.
Fortunately, treatment helps, and options ranging from exercise to medication
and psychotherapy, or ''talk
therapy,'' are plentiful.
Chronic Disease
• Approximately 92% of older adults have at least one
chronic disease, and 77% have at least two. Four chronic diseases—heart disease, cancer, stroke,
and diabetes—cause
almost two-thirds of all deaths each year.
• Chronic diseases account for 75% of the money our nation
spends on health care, yet only 1% of health dollars are spent on public
efforts to improve overall health.
• Diabetes affects 12.2 million Americans aged 60+, or 23% of
the older population. An additional 57 million Americans aged 20+ have pre-diabetes,
which increases a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
and stroke. In a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program for
people at high risk for developing diabetes, lifestyle intervention reduced
risk by 71% among those aged 60+.
• 90% of Americans aged 55+ are at risk for hypertension,
or high blood pressure.
Women are more likely than men to develop hypertension, with half of women aged
60+ and 77% of women aged 75+ having this condition. Hypertension affects 64%
of men aged 75+.
Falls
• Every 15 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for
a fall; every 29 minutes, an older adult dies following a fall.
• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of
fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, and injury deaths. Falls are also the most common
cause of older adult traumatic brain injuries, accounting for over 46% of fatal
falls.
• The nation spends $30 billion a year treating older
adults for the effects of falls. If we cannot stem the rate of falls,
it’s projected that direct treatment costs will reach $59.6 billion by 2020. A
quarter of hip fracture patients will be in a nursing home for at least a year,
further adding to Medicaid costs.
Mental Health & Substance Abuse
• One in four older adults experiences some mental disorder
including depression and anxiety disorders, and dementia. This number is
expected to double to 15 million by 2030.
• Depression affects seven million older Americans,
and many do not receive treatment.
• The number of older adults with substance abuse problems
is expected to double to five million by 2020.
• Two-thirds of older adults with
mental health problems do not receive the treatment they need. Current
preventative services for this population are extremely limited.
• Untreated substance abuse and
mental health problems among older adults are associated with poor health
outcomes, higher health care utilization, increased complexity of the course
and prognosis of many illnesses, increased disability and impairment,
compromised quality of life, increased caregiver stress, increased mortality,
and higher risk of suicide.
• People aged 85+ have the highest
suicide rate of any age group. Older white men have a suicide rate almost six
times that of the general population.
- Only 3.6% of people over 65 years old are in nursing homes. Elderly men are likely to live with a spouse while elderly women are more likely to live alone.
- 4 in 5 older adults will battle at least one chronic condition or illness such as heart disorders, arthritis, or osteoporosis. 50% will battle at least two.
- By age 75, about 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 women don't get ANY physical activity. You can keep seniors fit by hosting a dance class at your local senior center! Sign up for Dancing With the Seniors.
- While fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75, older drivers' crash rates have fallen faster than the crash rates of middle-aged drivers. One of the reasons is that older drivers tend to limit their driving during bad weather and at night.
- The ratio of women to men over 65 years old is 100 to 76. The ratio of women to men over 85 years old is 100 to 49.
- 99% of people over 65 years old have health insurance, with 93% having government-sponsored Medicare.
- According to data compiled by the Social Security Administration, a man reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 84.3. A woman turning age 65 today can expect to live 86.6.
- People over 75 years old visit the doctor 3 times more often than people 22 to 44 years old.
- Elderly people occupy over 1/3 of all federally subsidized housing.
- An estimated 1 in 10 senior citizens are victims of elder abuse, the intentional acts by a caregiver that lead to physical, psychological, or emotional harm.
- US poverty rates are highest for people 65 and older, with 10.5% living in poverty. There are also sharp racial differences in the data: the rates are at least 3 times higher for Hispanics and African-Americans ages 65+ than for whites 65+.
Parkinson's disease is a condition
in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.
The three main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:
•involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor)
•slow movement
•stiff and inflexible muscles
A person with Parkinson's disease can also experience a wide range of
other physical and psychological symptoms, including:
•depression and anxiety
•balance problems – this may increase the chance of a fall
•loss of sense of smell (anosmis)
•problems sleeping (insomnia)
•memory problems
Causes of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is caused by a
loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. This
leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain.
Dopamine plays a vital role in
regulating the movement of the body. A reduction in dopamine is responsible for
many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Exactly what causes the loss of
nerve cells is unclear. Most experts think that a combination of genetic and
environmental factors is responsible.
Read more about the causes of
Parkinson's disease.
Who's affected?
It's thought around 1 in 500 people are affected by
Parkinson's disease, which means there are an estimated 127,000 people in the
UK with the condition.
Most people with Parkinson's start
to develop symptoms when they're over 50, although around 1 in 20 people with the
condition first experience symptoms when they're under 40.
Men are slightly more likely to get Parkinson's disease than women.
Treating Parkinson's disease
Although there's currently no cure
for Parkinson's disease, treatments are available to help reduce the main
symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible.
These include:
•supportive treatments – such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy
•medication
•in some cases, brain surgery
You may not need any treatment during the early stages of Parkinson's disease,
as symptoms are usually mild. However, you may need regular appointments with
your specialist so your condition can be monitored.
No comments:
Post a Comment