Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease

New Parkinson’s disease content for you

EP 69: Chief Scientific Officer at Parkinson's Foundation, Dr James Beck, and Dr Ignacio Mata, Professor at the Cleveland Clinic, on the genetics of Parkinson’s disease and the future of precision treatments

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Precision Pioneers EP 8: Chief Medical Officer at ESCAPE Bio, Dr Carrolee Barlow, on developing precision medicines for genetic forms of Parkinson’s disease

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Insights & Information

PD Prevalence

PD is estimated to affect about one in every 790 people globally.

Higher rates of Parkinson’s have been associated with more economically developed countries with a higher average standard of living, however a conclusive reason for this has not yet been identified. [1]

Genetics

We are unable to provide a percentage figure for the heritability of Parkinson's disease, as it is not yet fully understood and is mostly unknown.

Heritability in Parkinson's is complex and only approximately 5–10% of all Parkinson’s disease cases can be attributed to monogenic causes (a single genetic mutation). Sporadic cases (not running in the family) make up approximately 80% of instances of Parkinson’s disease, and the cause is poorly understood. [2]

Main Symptoms

Tremors
Slowness of movement
Muscle stiffness
Balance issues

The signs of Parkinson’s disease are usually mild at first and develop gradually over time. [3]

Impacts

Parkinson's disease has been reported as the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world, with numbers doubling between 1990 and 2015. [4]

The majority of people with Parkinson's disease start to develop symptoms over the age of 50, with around 1 in 20 people first experiencing symptoms before the age of 40 [5]

Resources for advice

These are the best resources we've found so far on managing and learning about PD . Please let us know if you have other and we'll add them to the list!

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