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Shaky hands, rigid muscles and slowed movements: The typical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. Since then, the English doctor James Parkinson described the Suffering of some 200 years ago for the first Time, has increased the number of data continuously.
Alone, between 1990 and 2015, the number of Parkinson’s patients has doubled. Today, over six million people from the decline of dopamine are in the world of nerve cells in the brain produce affected.
Looking to the future
How can be developed these Figures in the future? This question is now investigated by scientists led by Ray Dorsey of the University of Rochester and came to a worrying result. For the forecast, the team of researchers looked at the influence of variables such as the demographic development, but also the role of environmental factors that may favor the Occurrence of the disease.
The evaluations showed: As Parkinson’s disease, the disease are typically in the age appearance is due to the aging of the world population significantly more often. In the year 2040 alone, due to this factor, therefore, could suffer up to twelve million people have Parkinson’s.
But that’s not all: Further influence quantities the Numbers may even be on more than 17 million increase, as Dorsey and his colleagues report. Among these factors is the increasing level of industrialization among others. Because doctors assume that certain muscle heavy metals, solvents and pesticides in the pathogenesis of the disease.
"A real Pandemie"
"Here, we can talk about a real pandemic, the human suffering, and enormous social and medical costs wird", Patrik Brundin of the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids in the journal " comments;Journal of Parkinson's Disease" these Figures.
In fact, even the study authors themselves compare the impending development of a major epidemic: "Parkinson’s is not infectious, but has many other characteristics of a Pandemie", you write. So pandemics affect large geographical areas, and Parkinson’s disease will, in almost all regions of the world, more frequently. In addition, pandemics, spread out and walking tended to be – the "Parkinson’s Hotspots" the earth move gradually by demographic and industrial changes. "According to studies, the load shifts from West to the East, in particular, to China", the researchers write.
Quick Action is needed
Another Similarity: As with many other pandemics, no one is immune to the disease, how the Team is emphasized. So what to do? A Parkinson’s disease-to avert the epidemic, Dorsey and his colleagues, now quick to Act. You demand to make supply structures and prevention measures in thoughts.
On the other, they call for intensive research efforts to find the causes of the disease and to develop new, more effective therapies. Because, to date, the most effective method of treatment – taking the drug Levodopa is 50 years old and the real reason for the brain shrinkage are still unknown.
"We hope that our article is raising the awareness for one of the biggest health challenges of our time and to the necessary reactions within the society führt", co-author Bastiaan Bloem of the Radboud includes University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands. (Journal of Parkinson's Disease, 2019; doi: 10.3233/JPD-181474)
Source: IOS Press
This article was written by Daniela Albat