#238 PD Numbers, Facts, and Photos

PD Numbers, Facts, and Photos.  This post goes into some of the statistics about Parkinson’s Disease, presents a few “who knew” facts about the condition, and photos from my back files from 2011 and 2012 just for the fun and beauty of them.

Not a luxury stay in north Scotland village.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE BY THE NUMBERS

Anne tees off on the 3rd hole at St Fillans GC. We were members of the club for 10 years.

Black Headed gull

       

        — 1.2 million Americans live with PD

— 90,000 new cases are diagnosed in US yearly, that’s 200  new cases a day

— 100 sufferers dies from PD related causes a day

— Over 10 million individuals are affected globally 

A "Force" (waterfall) in the Lake District in England.

The Falls of Dochart in central Scotland during the rainy season, January through December.

Gannet 

— Men are 1.5 times more likely to have PD than women

— Approximately 15% of people with PD have a family history with the disease, 85% don’t

— Approximately 4% of PD sufferers are diagnosed before the age of 50, it’s called  “early onset”

Stone circle near Killin in the Highlands.

Maes Howe, a neolithic burial tomb, on Orkney Islands with double rainbow.

— Combined direct and indirect costs of PD (treatment, Social Security, lost income) is expected to be $82.2 billion in 2026

— The cost is expected to rise to $112.6 billion by 2045

— Medications average $2500 yearly per individual 

— For professional treatment, 50% see neurologist, 9% see movement disorder specialists, 29% see primary care physicians, 11% seek other treatments [My treatment team consists of my PCP, neurologist, specialized movement and voice therapists, and caregiver Anne.]

— Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually by private foundations and non-profits on research, clinical care, and professional training related to PD ($100-$300 million yearly by Michael J Fox Foundation, $40-$50 million annually by The Parkinson’s Foundation, and lessor amounts by others).

Scottish Thistle

Branklyn Gardens in Perth, Scotland

PARKINSON’S “WHO KNEW” FACTS AND INFORMATION

*Parkinson’s Disease hits every individual differently. No two people necessarily have the same symptoms, or the same timing of symptoms as anyone else.

*Non-motor symptoms (constipation, depression, sleep disruption, anxiety, fatigue, problems of cognition, pain, ED) can be more troublesome than major motor symptoms (bradykinesia or slowness of movement, resting tremor, rigidity, loss of balance).

*Most PD patients will experience micrographia — small, cramped handwriting that gets smaller as you write. My handwriting has gotten harder to read, but it does save paper. 

Anne at Machrihanish Dunes GC about 5 miles from Paul McCartney's estate in Scotland.

*If you die from a PD related cause, you have a much lower risk of dying from an auto accident. 

NEXT: I'll see what I can find, Maybe a mix of old and new.