PD Facts

* PD is a slowly progressive disease caused by a reduction in a vital chemical in the brain known as dopamine. The lack of an adequate amount of dopamine causes one or more of the classic signs of Parkinson's disease: resting tremor on one side of the body; slowness of movement; stiffness of limbs; and gait or balance problems.

* While there are four classic signs of PD, which are often used to diagnose the disease, there are 45 other frequently-occurring symptoms, ranging from a constant runny nose to free-floating anxiety.   

* Up to 1.5 million Americans have PD.

* 15% of PWP are diagnosed before age 50.

* Progressive treatments allow many PWP to maintain a high level of function throughout their lifetimes.

* Parkinson's disease is not a fatal illness.

* The cause of Parkinson's disease is not known. There is a family history of the disease in 5-10% of patients. 

Sources: Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Elizabeth Vierck

Calender
Treatments
What Is...
Tips

Parkinson's Disease Medical ID Alert Italian Charm Bracelet

We agree these Medical Alert bracelets are not fashion statements, but they are worth wearing when traveling and in other high risk situations. Widely available, this one is from Amazon.com. American Medical Alert also carries a wide variety of styles and sizes. Medical Alert charms and necklaces are also available.

Sponsored By

Search Our Blog
Follow Us On Twitter!
Index of Posts
The Fine Print
Recent Comments
« Lobbying Congress | Main | Getting Better? or As Good As it Gets? »
Saturday
Mar032012
DateSaturday, March 3, 2012

PD Online News Roundup, February 27-March 3, 2012

UCLA researchers stop PD in animal model.

Dopamine causes artistic skills  to emerge.

Ask the Doctor: The increased rate of hip fractures

CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
in

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.