Parkinson's disease affects youngsters too, says body

Published on: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 KUALA LUMPUR: Contrary to common belief that Parkinson's disease (PD)  attacks only the elderly, young people are also at risk, says Malaysian  Parkinson's Disease Association  (MPDA) president Sara Lew.  She said in Malaysia, the disease could affect anyone, regardless of age and  gender, including those in their 20's and 30s, and that men suffered more than  women.  "However, one per cent of individuals over 60 years of age and three per cent  older than 80 have PD," she said at a news conference after announcing a  collaboration between Quest Group of Companies and the MPDA to raise up  to RM30,000 for the association here Monday.  Lew said based on unofficial statistics, the progressive disease had affected  about 50,000 people in Malaysia and the number was growing.  She said the most common symptoms of PD included uncontrolled tremors  in the hands or feet, stiffness of the limbs, slowness of movement and  difficulty with balance.  "The problem may become worse if left untreated or incorrectly treated.  Therefore, it is important to be diagnosed carefully by a neurologist to  ensure that it is Parkinson's," added Lew, whose father had PD for 21 years  before he passed away, four years ago. –  Bernama http://health.einnews.com/article/239847260/h8FuhQDA9dt69oFe