World Parkinson’s Day takes place every April 11, a chronic and progressive neurological pathology that constitutes the second neurodegenerative disease with the highest incidence worldwide, since it is estimated that there are more than seven million people living with Parkinson’s. In our country, and according to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), there are more than 150,000 affected and around 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The motto chosen this year by the Spanish Federation of Párkinson’s is ‘Give me my time’ – in which it asks that “times be respected” of people with this disease–, and that of the Degén Foundation is ‘A future without neurodegenerative diseases ‘.
Parkinson’s causes motor and non-motor symptoms, and the most frequent motor symptoms –and best known– are tremor and slow movements, but with the progression of the disease other problems also appear, such as motor fluctuations that more than 80% experience of patients five to 10 years after diagnosis.
In addition, according to the Professional College of Speech Therapists of the Community of Madrid (CPLCM), between 60 and 80% of people with Parkinson’s have speech disorders, a problem that increases with the progression of the disease, and one of the The most common symptom in these patients is “hypokinetic dysarthria, a speech disorder that causes a weak voice and slow, monotonous articulation.”
The disability associated with Parkinson’s and mortality from it are increasing more than those related to other neurological diseases and, in fact, a few months ago the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the prevalence of Parkinson’s has doubled in the In the last 25 years, the loss of disability-adjusted life years has also doubled (currently estimated at 5.8 million years).
“We estimate that, in Spain, and due to the progressive aging of our population, the number of people affected by Parkinson’s will triple in the next 30 years”
“The diagnostic and therapeutic advances that this disease has undergone in recent years are some of the reasons that explain this increase in the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease. But, above all, behind this increase, is the progressive aging of the population”, explains Dr. Álvaro Sánchez Ferro, Coordinator of the Movement Disorders Study Group of the Spanish Society of Neurology.
“And it is that age is the main risk for suffering from this disease. Above all, from the sixth decade of life, the incidence and prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Thus, while we estimate that Parkinson’s disease affects 2% of the population over 65 years of age, it now affects 4% in those over 80 years of age. For this reason we also calculate that, in Spain, and due to the progressive aging of our population, the number of people affected will triple in the next 30 years”.
However, it does not only affect the elderly because in our country currently around 15% of Parkinson’s diagnoses correspond to people under 50 years of age.
Parkinson’s risk factors that can be prevented
The chances of developing Parkinson’s increase if a close relative has the disease, but only 10% of cases correspond to hereditary forms of Parkinson’s, and its causes are unknown in 90% of cases, although there is scientific evidence. which indicate that it is generated as a result of a combination of environmental factors in genetically predisposed individuals.
“Taking into account the challenge posed by the foreseeable increase in new cases of this disease, it is very necessary to carry out prevention strategies on those factors that we already know can increase the risk of suffering from it,” says Dr. Álvaro Sánchez Ferro . “In this sense, we know that a good lifestyle helps protect us against Parkinson’s disease and this includes regular physical exercise, opting for the Mediterranean diet, or controlling hypertension and type 2 diabetes.”
On the other hand, “exposure to pesticides, industrial solvents, air pollution, or infections by helicobacter pylori or hepatitis C, have also been associated, among other factors, with a greater risk of developing this disease. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss public health programs that avoid the exposure of the population to these”.
Up to 3 years of delay in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s
In addition to avoiding the factors and situations that can favor the development of Parkinson’s, it is essential to detect the disease as soon as possible. For this reason, specialists insist that it does not always start with motor symptoms, but that up to 40% of patients first experience depression, which can confuse or delay diagnosis. Other common non-motor symptoms are anxiety, cognitive and sleep disturbances, pain, constipation, and swallowing or genitourinary function problems.
“We tend to associate Parkinson’s disease only with motor symptoms, when in reality it is a disease that can manifest itself in many other ways. And, in fact, non-motor symptoms can become, on many occasions, very disabling. In addition, when the first symptoms of the disease are not motor or are not so evident, it can be difficult to identify it early and even difficult to differentiate from other parkinsonian syndromes. Currently in Spain we have a diagnostic delay of between one and three years and this means that approximately one third of new cases are still undiagnosed”, says Dr. Álvaro Sánchez Ferro.
When Parkinson’s treatment begins in the early stages of the disease, the patient’s quality of life is improved and it is easier to prevent complications and reduce long-term disability. Although the available medications cannot stop the degenerative process, they do relieve most of the motor symptoms and many of the non-motor ones. “In any case, the treatment of this disease requires a comprehensive approach that also includes non-pharmacological treatments, and also an individualized approach, depending on the disability, the age of the patient, and the complications and symptoms that arise at throughout its evolution”, concludes Dr. Álvaro Sánchez Ferro.
Source: Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN)
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