Celebrated boxer Muhammad Ali, 74, died late last week after battling
Parkinson's disease for years. Here's what you should know about the illness.
June 6, 2016
In sad news, boxing legend Muhammad Ali died Friday after years of battling Parkinson’s disease. Ali, 74, was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, just three years after he retired from boxing. While most of us have some awareness of Parkinson’s thanks to Ali and fellow celebrity Michael J. Fox’s openness about fighting the illness, many of us don’t really know all that much about it.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects nearly one million people in the U.S., according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. The symptoms vary from person to person but often include tremors in the hands, arms, legs, and face, stiffness in a person’s arms and trunk, and impaired balance and coordination—and they become worse with time.
Tremors, stiffness, and balance issues are the more well-known symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. But other symptoms can show up earlier and are less closely linked with the disease in the public consciousness, Albert Hung, M.D., an associate neurologist in the Movement Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. Those include a loss of smell, constipation, trouble sleeping, and anxiety and depression.
Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women, Hung says, but not overwhelmingly so (it’s a 3-to-2 ratio).
So, what causes Parkinson’s? “The short answer is we really don’t know,” Hubert Fernandez, M.D., head of the Center for Neuro-Restoration at Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. “In about five to 10 percent of cases, the cause is a genetic mutation. In 95 percent of the cases, we just don’t know.”
However, Fernandez says, Parkinson’s has been linked to the use of certain pesticides and insecticides (like rotenone, for example), as well as repeated head trauma, especially if a person has lost consciousness. There’s speculation as to whether Ali’s iconic career as a boxer may have contributed to his Parkinson’s.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick and easy test for Parkinson’s. “There isn’t a way to say, ‘I can get a blood test or brain scan and find out I have Parkinson’s disease,’” James Beck, Ph.D., vice president of scientific affairs at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, tells SELF. “It can take six months or more.” Instead, Parkinson’s is usually diagnosed by visiting a doctor or specialist who will monitor a person’s symptoms to see how they progress.
There’s also no known cure for the disease—but there is good medication to help with the symptoms. Levodopa, a drug that provides a precursor to dopamine, a chemical that’s lacking in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, is considered the best. “Levodopa works wonders, especially in the beginning,” Beck says. “People often have to increase dosage of the medication in order to maintain their normal movement, but you’re never able to fully catch up. As the disease progresses, you can’t take enough medications to be able to move normally.”
People don’t usually die of Parkinson’s disease, Beck says. Instead, they often die of complications from the disease, like pneumonia related to problems swallowing or complications from a fall. Muhummad Ali was admitted to the hospital with respiratory problems, then died from septic shock, according to the New York Times.
But receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis isn’t a death sentence; Hung stresses that the disease is slowly progressive. “It’s not something that’s going to evolve over weeks and months,” he says. “It’s going to involve years or decades. With medications and exercise, a patient should be able to maintain a good quality of life for some time.”
http://www.self.com/trending/2016/06/what-exactly-is-parkinsons-disease/
Celebrated boxer Muhammad Ali, 74, died late last week after battling
Parkinson's disease for years. Here's what you should know about the illness.
June 6, 2016
In sad news, boxing legend Muhammad Ali died Friday after years of battling Parkinson’s disease. Ali, 74, was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, just three years after he retired from boxing. While most of us have some awareness of Parkinson’s thanks to Ali and fellow celebrity Michael J. Fox’s openness about fighting the illness, many of us don’t really know all that much about it.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects nearly one million people in the U.S., according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. The symptoms vary from person to person but often include tremors in the hands, arms, legs, and face, stiffness in a person’s arms and trunk, and impaired balance and coordination—and they become worse with time.
Tremors, stiffness, and balance issues are the more well-known symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. But other symptoms can show up earlier and are less closely linked with the disease in the public consciousness, Albert Hung, M.D., an associate neurologist in the Movement Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. Those include a loss of smell, constipation, trouble sleeping, and anxiety and depression.
Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women, Hung says, but not overwhelmingly so (it’s a 3-to-2 ratio).
So, what causes Parkinson’s? “The short answer is we really don’t know,” Hubert Fernandez, M.D., head of the Center for Neuro-Restoration at Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. “In about five to 10 percent of cases, the cause is a genetic mutation. In 95 percent of the cases, we just don’t know.”
However, Fernandez says, Parkinson’s has been linked to the use of certain pesticides and insecticides (like rotenone, for example), as well as repeated head trauma, especially if a person has lost consciousness. There’s speculation as to whether Ali’s iconic career as a boxer may have contributed to his Parkinson’s.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick and easy test for Parkinson’s. “There isn’t a way to say, ‘I can get a blood test or brain scan and find out I have Parkinson’s disease,’” James Beck, Ph.D., vice president of scientific affairs at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, tells SELF. “It can take six months or more.” Instead, Parkinson’s is usually diagnosed by visiting a doctor or specialist who will monitor a person’s symptoms to see how they progress.
There’s also no known cure for the disease—but there is good medication to help with the symptoms. Levodopa, a drug that provides a precursor to dopamine, a chemical that’s lacking in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, is considered the best. “Levodopa works wonders, especially in the beginning,” Beck says. “People often have to increase dosage of the medication in order to maintain their normal movement, but you’re never able to fully catch up. As the disease progresses, you can’t take enough medications to be able to move normally.”
People don’t usually die of Parkinson’s disease, Beck says. Instead, they often die of complications from the disease, like pneumonia related to problems swallowing or complications from a fall. Muhummad Ali was admitted to the hospital with respiratory problems, then died from septic shock, according to the New York Times.
But receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis isn’t a death sentence; Hung stresses that the disease is slowly progressive. “It’s not something that’s going to evolve over weeks and months,” he says. “It’s going to involve years or decades. With medications and exercise, a patient should be able to maintain a good quality of life for some time.”
http://www.self.com/trending/2016/06/what-exactly-is-parkinsons-disease/
Muhammad Ali's Impact and Legacy on Parkinson's Disease Research
Monday, June 6, 2016
CHARLOTTE --
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali died last week at age 74, but his legacy lives on.
Ali battled Parkinson's disease for three decades.
Many people say he’s a perfect example of a fighter both in the boxing ring and out.
Parkinson's disease can deteriorate your motor skills over time. The symptoms could include muscle stiffness, difficulty walking and slurred speech.
Ann Marie Obrikat, executive director of the Parkinson’s Association of the Carolinas, said if you have Parkinson’s, “It can be a huge labor just to get up out of bed in the morning.”
There's no cure for Parkinson's, but researchers say Ali had a dramatic impact on the medical field.
Dr. March Hirsch with the Carolinas HealthCare System said, “Physical activity and exercise were thought to not have any effect on Parkinson's disease whatsoever in the 1980s.”
Ali changed that perspective.
“Exercise is medicine. It certainly was for Muhammad Ali,” said Dr. Hirsch.
He and Michael J. Fox also went to Congress in the 90s, looking for research funding. But advocates say there's still a lot more work to be done.
Obrikat said, “The awareness is still not big. I mean it's not like breast cancer. It's not like Lou Gehrig's.
Some people look at it as a final determination, and it doesn't have to be. Don't look at the end. Look at the now.”
http://www.twcnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2016/06/6/muhammad-ali-s-impact-and-legacy-on-parkinson-s-disease-research.html
Monday, June 6, 2016
CHARLOTTE --
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali died last week at age 74, but his legacy lives on.
Ali battled Parkinson's disease for three decades.
Many people say he’s a perfect example of a fighter both in the boxing ring and out.
Parkinson's disease can deteriorate your motor skills over time. The symptoms could include muscle stiffness, difficulty walking and slurred speech.
Ann Marie Obrikat, executive director of the Parkinson’s Association of the Carolinas, said if you have Parkinson’s, “It can be a huge labor just to get up out of bed in the morning.”
There's no cure for Parkinson's, but researchers say Ali had a dramatic impact on the medical field.
Dr. March Hirsch with the Carolinas HealthCare System said, “Physical activity and exercise were thought to not have any effect on Parkinson's disease whatsoever in the 1980s.”
Ali changed that perspective.
“Exercise is medicine. It certainly was for Muhammad Ali,” said Dr. Hirsch.
He and Michael J. Fox also went to Congress in the 90s, looking for research funding. But advocates say there's still a lot more work to be done.
Obrikat said, “The awareness is still not big. I mean it's not like breast cancer. It's not like Lou Gehrig's.
Some people look at it as a final determination, and it doesn't have to be. Don't look at the end. Look at the now.”
http://www.twcnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2016/06/6/muhammad-ali-s-impact-and-legacy-on-parkinson-s-disease-research.html
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