Parkinson’s Disease May Be 50 Percent Underdiagnosed: Study
Parkinson’s is a disease that attacks the nerve cells that create a chemical called dopamine, resulting in low dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is responsible for muscle control and movement.Shutterstock
Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common age-related disease affecting adults. However, recent research revealed an alarming finding: Current estimates for the number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s could be nearly 50 percent below the actual figures.
That revelation is the result of work by researchers who combed through patient data from 2012 across several locations and health systems in Canada and the United States.
Key Findings
The study found that a person’s risk for Parkinson’s increases significantly from age 65 through 84. While men and women both have higher rates than previously thought, men are diagnosed at a higher rate than women.
Joseph LaFave
Author
Joseph LaFave writes about health care for The Epoch Times. He is an award winning features writer and has covered both local and national news. Previously he was a hospital administrator and an EMT. He has a masters in health care management and a bachelors in criminology.
