Parkinson’s disease affects about 90,000 older Americans a year, up from 30,000 previously estimated, according to a study published Thursday.
Risk rates vary across the country. Regions with high numbers of older residents have seen more diagnoses of the disease, and the risk typically increases with age, but so have some Rust Belt states in the Northeast and Midwest with a history of heavy industrial manufacturing.
The rising rates of Parkinson’s and the cost of treatment and lost income mean that everyone is directly or indirectly affected by the disease, said Dr. Michael Okun, chairman of neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville.
“A disease like this could devastate the health care system,” said Okun, who was not involved in the study but serves as a medical adviser to the Parkinson’s Foundation. “It’s something we should all be concerned about.”
What is Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease that causes the gradual loss of brain circuits involved in movement, thought, and behavior. In addition to anxiety, depression, and insomnia, it can cause tremors, stiffness, slowness, and falls.
Famous actors with Parkinson’s disease Michael J.
How many people live with Parkinson’s?
The new study suggests that 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, up from the previous estimate of 60,000. This finding is based on five previous prevalence studies, including data up to 2012, so it is probably an underestimate, Okun said.
According to the diagnosis, men are almost twice as likely to receive the diagnosis, and the incidence generally increases with the age of onset in the 60s.
In the year A 2018 study from the Parkinson’s Outbreak Project found that 930,000 people in the United States will be living with Parkinson’s in 2020 and 1.2 million in 2030, mostly in the elderly population.
Jim Beck, study co-author and chief scientific officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation, will work with Michaels to quantify the risk for Parkinson’s research and lawyers to convince companies to invest. J. Fox Foundation and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
“We want to use this information to encourage policymakers to consider how much funding Parkinson’s disease receives and its impact on society,” he said. “Here is the truth, Zeikones.
Why are rates increasing?
The simple answer is that Americans are getting older. This probably explains the rising prices in states like Florida, which are a destination for retirees.
There is also a rare association between cigarette smoking and Parkinson’s, with heavy smokers being less likely to develop the disease, Beck said.
As the amount of smoking decreased, the rate of Parkinson’s increased, although smoking may be an indicator of something other than tobacco itself being protective.
The increase in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania could be driven by a variety of factors, including better awareness and environmental toxins from heavy industry.
Can environmental factors also contribute?
Research is still in its infancy, but Parkinson’s expert Ray Dorsey concludes that the disease is increasing faster than aging, so there are other drivers, perhaps environmental.
Although not all studies have confirmed this relationship, some studies have implicated the pesticide paraquat. Lawsuits continue to be brought against paraquat manufacturers by individuals with Parkinson’s — who, Dorsey said, have no family history or genetic predisposition to the disease but were exposed to paraquat before developing Parkinson’s disease.
Air pollution can raise the risk of Parkinson’s disease, Dorsey said, as can trichlorethylene, or the corrosive agent TCE.
Why is this case distribution important?
Knowing where Parkinson’s occurs can help officials direct dollars and care, Beck said. “Do we have neurologists distributed where these people are?”
He said high damage areas can also be targeted for research and experimental recruitment.
How Much Does Parkinson’s Cost America?
Each family affected by Parkinson’s spends $26,000 a year out of pocket to deal with the disease, Beck said, far more than it costs for heart disease and diabetes.
Previously by Michael J.
The federal government spends more than $200 million a year on Parkinson’s disease. But according to Okun, an investment of $3 billion a year is needed to find effective treatments, better understand the disease and hopefully learn how to prevent it.
More research funding will also help attract more scientific talent to the field, Beck said. “If they see that it’s going to be difficult to do Parkinson’s research because there’s not a lot of money there, they’re going to move on to something else.”
Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.
USA Today’s coverage of health and patient safety is made possible in part by a grant from the Massimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Massimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
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