Some interesting facts about Parkinson’s…
- Parkinson’s develops when cells in the substantia nigra part of the brain start to die. These cells produce dopamine which helps the brain to control movement. It is the loss of dopamine which leads to the typical symptoms of the condition.
- Every hour 2 people in the UK are told they have Parkinson’s
- Around 145,000 were diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018 in the UK – That is around 1 adult in every 350. Most people who get Parkinson’s are aged over 50 but young people can also get it
- To date, there is no blood test or scan that can diagnose Parkinson’s.
- Doctors look for 4 classic symptoms of the disease before reaching a diagnosis; tremor, rigidity in the wrist and elbow joints, lack or slowness of movement and an unstable posture.
- Parkinson’s is averagely 1.5 times as likely to affect men than women.
- 1 in 37 people alive today will diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their life time.
- As yet there is no known cause of Parkinson’s although a family history will increase your risk.
- Parkinson’s is expensive – Parkinson’s UK has much information on their web site, have completed a recent study into the cost of having Parkinson’s and are calling on the governments across the UK to make changes to welfare support, increase investment in social care and are proposing new policies and practises for employers so that people affected by Parkinson’s are supported to stay in work for as long as they want to.
