Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

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Ex-France international rugby player Marc Dal Maso has revealed he has Parkinson’s disease.

In his career, the 48-year-old played 33 times for France as a hooker between 1988 and 2000 and appeared in the 1999 World Cup as well as winning the Five Nations Grand Slam in 1997 and 1998. He was a coach for Japan at this year’s World Cup when the Asian team surprised everyone by beating South Africa.

Dal Maso says he decided to go public because of negative rumours that were spreading.

He told the Midi-Olympique rugby daily: “There were rumours doing the rounds so rather than listen to people say stupid things it was better that they know. Let’s just say there are sports which help illnesses like this and rugby is one of them.”

He added that the illness had been detected in 2012 but had probably started years before then.

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Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

Scientists in Slovakia have investigated the link between blood vessel dysfunction and Parkinson’s – and found that dopamine agonists may have an impact. The team studied the function of the endothelium – a membrane which lines the heart and blood vessels and helps control blood fluidity – in 41 people with the condition and 41 people without. Endothelial function was then measured through a parameter that assessed how easily blood could flow through the vessels. The results showed that while more people with Parkinson’s had endothelial dysfunction compared to those without, the difference did not reach statistical significance. However, the researchers noted that the findings suggested “an association between smoking, dopamine agonists, and impaired endothelial function” in those with the condition. Outlining the study’s limitations, the team noted that more research is needed to explore this potential link.

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, have drawn on one woman’s sense of smell to develop a swab test that may be used to detect Parkinson’s. The scientists used the test to analyse sebum (a type of oily substance on the skin) in 79 people with Parkinson’s and a control group of 71 healthy individuals. The team identified more than 4,000 different compounds in the participant samples – including 500 that were unique to those living with the condition. The test was developed with the help of Joy Milne from Perth, Scotland, whose unique sense of smell meant that she noticed a change in her late husband Les’s odour twelve years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Speaking to the BBC, Professor Perdita Barran, who led the research, described the test as potentially “transformative” – and said that the team hopes to roll the test out to people in…

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Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Perspectives

Why I promise to make poetry, not Parkinson’s disease, my daily challenge

Episodes

Podcast: Freezing, moving and cueing – understanding gait and Parkinson’s disease

Resources & Tools

Parkinson’s podcast: Beyond motor symptoms

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

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Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Why I promise to make poetry, not Parkinson’s disease, my daily challenge

Episodes

Podcast: Freezing, moving and cueing – understanding gait and Parkinson’s disease

Resources & Tools

Parkinson’s podcast: Beyond motor symptoms

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

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