Parkinson's disease, once considered relatively rare, is now one of the most common neurological disorders in the world, and the second most common after Alzheimer’s disease. The number of people living with Parkinson’s has more than doubled in the past 25 years to 8.5 million, and is predicted to hit 25.2 million by 2050.
The hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's — such as tremors, stiffness and difficulty with balance and coordination — result from the deterioration of neurons in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement. While10 to 15 percent of cases are linked to inherited genetic mutations, the rest are considered "sporadic," with no known cause.
Although treatments are available that can manage symptoms, there is no cure or therapy that can slow disease progression. But ongoing research on Parkinson's is revealing several risk factors related to our lifestyles and environment, some of which are actionable
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