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Showing posts from May, 2011

Project TILT: Parkinsons Disease

Question: What do Muhammad Ali, Michael J. Fox, Adolf Hitler, Pope John Paul II, Salvador Dali, and Freddie Roach have in common? Answer: They all have Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition that affects that portion of the mid-brain called substantia nigra. In the Philippines, it is estimated that PD affects 120,000 people (or one percent of the 50–year-old and above bracket.) “But if you look at the data, only 30,000 (or 25 percent) seek treatment,” says Dr. Rosales. The remaining 75 percent do not seek treatment because they are not aware that they have PD; or are incapable of paying for medication. A recent study also showed that a spike in early-onset PD occurred in Regions 6 and 7 (Panay and Negros) islands.