Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts movement, impacts speech, and can make automatic movements that were once second nature impossible for the person impacted by the disease to easily do the things that they once did. There’s no cure for the disease and even with treatment, and over time, someone impacted by Parkinson’s is going to see a loss of functioning that ultimately results in them passing away.
Parkinson’s tends to primarily impact older and middle aged adults. There are treatments out there that can help to slow the spread of the disease and help improve functioning, but this is not a cure. It’s just a way to help improve the quality of life that someone with the disease faces. Modern treatments can help extend the lifespan of someone with Parkinson’s for decades after a diagnosis. Many people with Parkinson’s disease live for years after a diagnosis with minimal health issues. But not all. Some are impacted more heavily than others and Parkinson’s disease, if left unchecked, is fatal.
Lately, it has been observed that this tends to happen much more often than it used to. In the U.S., the death rate from Parkinson’s disease has increased by 63 percent over the last twenty years. Researchers want to know just why this is happening.
They found that all demographics were seeing an increase in mortality, but that white men seemed to be impacted the most heavily. Although it’s believed that estrogen–a hormone mainly produced by women–may have a protective factor when it comes to Parkinson’s, this seems to still be a mystery. Hopefully, now that this observation has been made, future research can help treat Parkinson’s more effectively.
The team of researchers published their findings in the medical journal, Neurology.
At first, the number doesn’t make sense. 63 percent is a very large increase, especially when you take into account the fact that Parkinson’s treatment has only been improving over the years. If you are diagnosed with Parkinson’s today and it is caught in the early stages, your long term prognosis is much better than if you caught the disease at the same stage twenty years ago. But one of the things that better treatments are doing is expanding lifespans. This isn’t just for Parkinson’s but for a huge list of diseases and illnesses. Better treatments are allowing those with Parkinson’s to live longer, and because there’s no cure for the disease, eventually the disease wins out over the other treatments. Unfortunately, although we’re gaining ground in the search for a cure, we’re not quite there yet. And longer life spans and better treatment don’t fully explain why more people are dying from Parkinson’s, the researchers were quick to point out.
The fact remains, those with Parkinson’s will need extra help as they age. In-home care might be an ideal choice for your situation. We’d love to talk more with you if you have questions about in-home care and how someone with Parkinson’s might see their life improve as a result. Feel free to call our office and speak with one of our trained professional caregivers to learn more.
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