Hazardous Falls Don't Have to Happen
04.12.09, 08:00 PM EDT
Experts offer seniors tips on avoiding harmful tumbles

MONDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Falls are the leading cause of injury among senior citizens in the United States, but there are ways to reduce the risk, says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Each year in the U.S., more than 11 million senior citizens suffer a fall, which works out to one out of every three people older than 65. Falls can occur during simple, everyday activities such as getting out of the bathtub or climbing the stairs. In 2006, 368,000 people were diagnosed for hip fractures, the AAOS said.

Medical risk factors for falls include: osteoporosis; walking difficulties; arthritis; irregular heartbeat; blood pressure fluctuation; depression; senility; neurological problems such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease; vision or hearing loss; cancer that affects bones; and urinary or bladder dysfunction.

The AAOS offered the following fall prevention tips:

* Get an annual physical and eye exam, particularly an evaluation of heart and blood pressure problems.
* Consume adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D.
* Don't smoke and avoid excessive alcohol consumption.
* Exercise to improve agility, strength, balance and coordination.
* Eliminate all tripping hazards in the home and install grab bars, handrails and other safety devices.
* Wear properly-fitting shoes and nonskid soles.
* Never walk in your stocking feet.
* Place a lamp, telephone and flashlight near your bed.
* Sleep on a bed that is easy to get into and out of.
* Arrange clothes in your closet so that they're easy to reach.
* Install a night light along the route between your bedroom and bathroom.
* Keep all areas of the house clutter-free.
* Arrange furniture so that you have a clear pathway between rooms.

Parkinson’s is on the increase

Dr. Philip Rutherford talks about his experience with Parkinson’s disease. April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month.
Cara Brady/Morning Star

By Cara Brady - Vernon Morning Star

Published: April 16, 2009 6:00 PM

In the fall of 2000, Philip Rutherford was a busy family physician in Armstrong. He noticed that he had an ache in his left arm and tingling in his left hand and when it didn’t go away, he saw his doctor and was referred to a specialist for tests.

“It was quite a surprise to be told at 44 that I had what I perceived to be an old person’s disease. I had Parkinson’s disease patients but they were all older,” he said. “It took awhile to sink in but I think I accepted it well. It’s a progressive disease and I know what’s going to happen.”

Rutherford said there is an increasing incidence of what is called young-onset Parkinson’s, before age 50, with some as young as 18 years old. Parkinson’s is a neuro-degenerative disease that happens when the cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between nerves in the brain, die. Symptoms include tremour, stiffness and slowness, balance and muscle problems and others like fatigue, writing changes and sleep disturbances.

There is thought to be a genetic component to the disease in about six per cent of cases while other people may have some kind of predisposition that may be triggered by environmental toxins, infections, post-concussion or other factors. The use of illegal drugs can trigger Parkinson’s in some young people. The majority of cases are of unknown cause with no family history. Diagnosis is made by assessment by a neurologist and there is no cure, but medication can help reduce symptoms.

“I started to get a bit of tremour when I was stressed or anxious and I would limp when I got stressed,” said Rutherford.

“As a physician, you’re obviously aware of how you appear to your patients. I’d be self-conscious and there were certain procedures I couldn’t do. My writing was getting smaller and smaller and I had difficulty keeping patient records. Then there were the things like drooling. Patients don’t find that attractive. Sometimes they would ask me if I was feeling well.”

He and his wife, Carol, a registered nurse, talked to their son, now in his teens, about the disease and the changes. Rutherford loved his work and his patients and continued to practise until he had to make the difficult decision to retire last March.

“There is stress in living with a chronic disease. The medications are effective for controlling symptoms and they work for a time but almost everyone will have side effects or they will cease to be effective. Surgery is helpful for some people,” he said.

“I have had to recognize myself as having a disability and that’s a difficult process. I have become more empathetic and look at the person, not the disability.”

He finds regular exercise, like biking, hiking and cross-country skiing — he had to give up downhill skiing — are beneficial, and that it takes longer to do things like eating and dressing.

Rutherford is making it his project to work locally on the possible implications of environmental factors contributing to Parkinson’s disease. He was involved with the campaign to stop the use of pesticides on school grounds in Armstrong. He is also concerned about Fish and Wildlife Branch plans to use the pesticide rotenone in Gardom Lake to kill non-native species and re-introduce other species. He fishes at Gardom Lake and thinks that caution should be used with wide-spread use of any pesticide. He cites studies that link long-term, low-dose exposure to pesticides to a higher incidence of Parkinson’s disease and some researchers find a connection between exposure in the womb and developing the disease. It appears that the disease may appear long after the initial trigger, whatever that might have been.

Rutherford feels hopeful about help for Parkinson’s disease in the longer term. New research on the genetic components of Parkinson’s disease is being funded by Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, whose mother has the disease.

“There is a lot of research being done and there is likely to be a significant break-through in the next five to 10 years,” he said.

Taking Steps for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson Research Foundation Announces First Annual Walk

Sarasota, FL--- The Parkinson Research Foundation will be presenting its first annual walk to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and money to help support the mission of the Parkinson Research Foundation.

On Saturday April 18th, the annual walk will be held in downtown Sarasota and will begin at 9:00am. The walk will begin at J.D. Hamel Park and cover a 3 mile loop through Main Street and the surrounding areas.

This year’s walk has already gained the unanimous support of the Sarasota community, including the Downtown Sarasota Merchants Alliance, the Burns Court Merchants and Artist Market and exclusive magazine media sponsor SRQ Magazine. The Parkinson Research Foundation hopes that bringing its cause to the streets will help raise awareness about over one million people across American who are affected by this crippling disease.

The money raised will be used to fund research, educational programs, advocacy and awareness efforts that will support Parkinson’s patients, caregivers and families in communities across America.

Registration will begin at 8:00am the day of the walk, however, preregistration is highly recommended. Walkers can participate as an individual or a member of a team. Registration is $10 dollars in advance and $15 dollars the day of the walk. The registration includes a Taking Steps T-shirt and one free 50/50 Taking Steps raffle ticket.

For every $50 that a walker raises in sponsorships and pledges they will receive an additional 50/50 ticket. Upon the completion of the walk a ticket will be drawn at random and the winner will be awarded 50% of the proceeds from the raffle ticket sales. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each.

Parkinson's Disease Medication Triggers Destructive Behaviors
Posted April 8th, 2009 by Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new study conducted at Mayo Clinic reports that one in six patients receiving therapeutic doses of certain drugs for Parkinson's disease develops new-onset, potentially destructive behaviors, notably compulsive gambling or hypersexuality.

VIDEO ALERT:Additional audio and video resources including excerpts from an interview withDr. J. Michael Bostwickdescribing the research, are available on theMayo Clinic News Blog.

The study extends findings from two Mayo case series published in 2005 that reported a connection between dopamine agonist medications and compulsive gambling or hypersexuality.

Dopamine agonists are a class of drugs that include pramipexole and ropinirole. They are commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease, but low doses also are used for restless legs syndrome. They uniquely stimulate brain limbic circuits, which are thought to be fundamental substrates for emotional, reward and hedonistic behaviors.

"The 2005 case series alerted us that something bad was happening to some unfortunate people. This study was done to assess the likelihood that this effect would happen to the average Parkinson's patient treated with these agents," says J. Michael Bostwick, M.D., Mayo Clinic psychiatrist who spearheaded the new study. It is published in the April issue ofMayo Clinic Proceedings.

The researchers analyzed the medical records of patients with Parkinson's disease residing in counties surrounding Rochester, Minn., who received their primary neurological care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester between 2004 and 2006. This group included 267 patients. Of those, 66 were taking dopamine agonists for their Parkinson's disease. Of those 66, 38 were taking the drugs in higher therapeutic doses (doses expected to be at least minimally beneficial).

The findings were definitive. Seven patients experiencing new-onset compulsive gambling or hypersexuality were taking dopamine agonists in higher therapeutic doses. None of the other Parkinson's disease patients developed compulsive gambling habits or hypersexuality, including the 28 patients on subtherapeutic dopamine agonist doses or the other 201 patients not taking dopamine agonists. None of the 178 patients treated only with the standard drug for Parkinson's disease, carbidopa/levodopa, developed these behaviors.

"It is crucial for clinicians prescribing dopamine agonists to apprise patients as well as their spouses or partners about this potential side effect. The onset can be insidious and overlooked until life-altering problems develop," saysJ. Eric Ahlskog, M.D., Ph.D.,Mayo Clinic neurologist who co-authored and treated many of the patients in the 2005 study. "It also is worth noting that the affected patients were all taking therapeutic doses. Very low doses, such as those used to treat restless legs syndrome, carry much less risk."

"For some patients, a reduction in the dose of the dopamine agonist may prove to be sufficient treatment," says Dr. Ahlskog, "although total elimination of the offending drug is often necessary."

A peer-review journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings publishes original articles and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research and clinical epidemiology. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is published monthly by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to the medical education of physicians. The journal has been published for more than 80 years and has a circulation of 130,000 nationally and internationally. Articles are available online at www.mayoclinicproceedings.com.

Man aims for world record in name of Parkinson's

Healthcare News
30/03/2009
An avid cyclist hoping to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe on his bike is doing it to raise money for Parkinson's disease, it has emerged.

An avid cyclist hoping to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe on his bike is doing it to raise money for Parkinson's disease, it has emerged.

Speaking to the Independent, James Bowthorpe highlighted that his passion for fighting the disease was founded when he finally understood the trials and tribulations of his grandfather, who he remembers as a "slow old man with sticks".

He explained: "About two years ago I decided I wanted to get into medical school and had to volunteer to get clinical experience. I wanted to explain to my younger self what was up with my granddad, so looked for work around Parkinson's."

Cycling 120 miles a day, Mr Bowthorpe will cover 18,000 miles overall and hopes to beat current record holder Mark Beaumont by three weeks - in turn raising £100 a mile and giving his £1.8 million to research.

The Parkinson's Disease Society has been funding a number of research projects over the last 39 years, spending around 25 per cent of its total budget each year on the exercise.