Scotland sees soaring Parkinson’s rate

News

Author: Roisin McCormackPublished: 9 January 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

The number of drugs being prescribed for people living with Parkinson’s in Scotland, UK, has increased by more than a quarter.

National Health Service (NHS) figures, published by the Scottish Conservative party, show that the number of items being dispensed for the condition have leapt by 28% – from 260,355 in 2010 to 333,167 in 2019.

The sharp rise is thought to be a consequence of Scotland’s ageing population and has prompted calls from bodies, including Parkinson’s UK, for government action to ensure the NHS can cope with the increasing number of Parkinson’s cases.

Annie Macleod, director of Parkinson’s UK Scotland, said: “Over the next decade we expect to see numbers increase by a fifth.”

She added that reasons for such a spike could include “growing numbers of people living with more complex Parkinson’s, or changes to the ways that specialists are managing Parkinson’s”.

To read more on this topic click here.

Queen Elizabeth II honours UK university for Parkinson’s research

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Perspectives

Tony’s two-wheel tour: “One of the best experiences of my life”

Tony reflects on his experience, which might just be the best of his life

White asparagus à la Flamande with egg mimosa

A traditional Flemish vegetarian asparagus dish with egg mimosa

Which physiotherapy treatment is right for you?

Physiotherapy guidelines reveal best treatments – including Tai Chi

Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

This April, The World Parkinson Coalition is launching The Parkinson Tulip Project – a global collaborative photography campaign to raise awareness of the world’s fastest growing neurological disease. As part of the campaign, which is supported by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, members of the Parkinson’s community are invited to share a photo of themselves with tulips – the official symbol of Parkinson’s disease. The project will run until April 2022, and all images shared by the community will be displayed at the sixth World Parkinson Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Additionally, every photo submitted will be entered into The Parkinson Tulip Project raffle. The World Parkinson Coalition hopes that the project will “give a face and name to those impacted by Parkinson’s” and “inspire the community, reminding people touched by Parkinson’s disease that they are not alone”.

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease symptoms and medications can cause dental health problems – including difficulty cleaning teeth and increased tooth decay. Now, a study from researchers in Brazil has offered dental care recommendations to help people living with the condition. Analysing data from 14 studies, the scientists highlighted people with Parkinson’s can have “reduced quality of oral health and hygiene”. Their advice included routine teeth-brushing, as well as regular trips to a dentist. They also suggested brushing teeth with both hands, as symptoms like tremor and rigidity could mean using one hand is more difficult. The researchers wrote: “Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they are among the most prevalent diseases globally, thus creating a public health problem. “Despite the relatively low level of evidence in studies on oral health among patients with Parkinson’s disease, the data retrieved for this systematic review allowed us to create a set of simple guidelines.”

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

Researchers at the University of Maryland, US, have highlighted the growing body of research that suggests male and female patients are affected differently by Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of cells in the brain and nervous system. These cellular changes are associated with the collapse of the blood-brain barrier – a border of cells that protects the brain from damaging molecules. In the article – published in scientific journal ‘APL Bioengineering’ – the researchers observed that this barrier behaves differently in male and female patients. The fact that some research suggests women tend to have a stronger blood-brain barrier, for example, could explain why Parkinson’s disease is more common in men. Dr Alisa Morss Clyne, one of the article’s authors, says this research has been an “awakening”. She adds: “You cannot ignore sex differences. My goal is to inspire people to include sex differences in their research.”

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Scotland sees soaring Parkinson’s rate

News

Author: Roisin McCormackPublished: 9 January 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Perspectives

Tony’s two-wheel tour: “One of the best experiences of my life”

Recipes & Nutrition

White asparagus à la Flamande with egg mimosa

PD in Practice

Which physiotherapy treatment is right for you?

Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

{title}

Subscribe

Scotland sees soaring Parkinson’s rate

News

Author: Roisin McCormackPublished: 9 January 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Tony’s two-wheel tour: “One of the best experiences of my life”

Recipes & Nutrition

White asparagus à la Flamande with egg mimosa

PD in Practice

Which physiotherapy treatment is right for you?

Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in