Latest news with #Parkinson'sAwarenessMonth
Al Etihad
30-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
New innovations offer hope for Parkinson's patients but awareness remains key, say UAE experts
1 May 2025 01:23 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Even though Parkinson's cases are expected to rise globally in the coming years, new technologies offer hope to patients suffering from the disease, doctors told Aletihad. These are among the talking points as healthcare experts wrapped up Parkinson's Awareness Month in April. Recent innovations such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) have completely transformed outcomes for Parkinson's patients, said Dr. Shivam Om Mittal, Staff Physician at the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.'DBS helps control symptoms with remarkable precision, letting patients walk, work, and live independently even after medications lose effectiveness,' Dr. Mittal said. Dr. Jawad Fazal, Neurology Consultant at Burjeel Medical City, agreed that Parkinson's treatments have now gone beyond traditional medications.'When medication becomes less effective or causes side effects, we have alternatives like DBS surgery, continuous dopamine infusion, and devices like Pathfinder to aid mobility,' Dr. Fazal said. In the UAE and many parts of the world, genetics has helped experts tailor more precise therapies for young-onset and familial cases, Dr. Mittal said. 'The future is bright,' he said. 'Brain-sensing DBS is already a huge step forward. Soon, we'll have closed-loop systems that automatically adjust stimulation, and AI will allow us to predict symptom changes and customise treatments even more precisely. We are heading toward a highly dynamic, truly personalised model of Parkinson's care — and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is right at the forefront of that shift.'All these innovations offer new hope despite projections that more people could suffer from the disease decades from now. "Research predicts that Parkinson's cases will more than double by 2050,' Dr. Mittal said. 'People are living longer, and diagnosis is improving — but environmental and lifestyle factors might also be playing a role. Another trend that's worrying is the increase in younger patients developing Parkinson's." Early Signs, Symptoms As the world comes to terms with the disease, the experts call for greater awareness and support beyond therapies and medications. "The key thing about Parkinson's is awareness — it's a condition that predominantly affects people over the age of 50 or 60. Patients often notice a tremor developing, usually in one hand, although it can affect both sides,' Dr. Fazal said."Other signs include slower movements and changes in walking patterns, like shuffling. Sometimes, the patients themselves notice these symptoms, but often it is their family members who pick up on the changes first," he symptoms may appear early, too, Dr. Fazal said. "Parkinson's can have a genetic component, even in younger individuals."Lifestyle plays a crucial role in managing the disease, with regular exercise and a healthy diet among the top essentials. "We're very fortunate in Abu Dhabi to have access to nearly all the treatments available worldwide,' Dr. Fazal said. 'Most patients are managed successfully with medications, and all the latest medications are readily available here.' Abu Dhabi is very advanced when it comes to the diagnosis, management, and treatment of Parkinson's disease, he added. 'Patients here have access to a level of care that's on par with leading centres internationally.'
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Ryan Reynolds Reflects on Father's Battle with Parkinson's Disease and the Importance of Modern Treatments
Ryan Reynolds, the 'Deadpool' star, opened up about his father's unfortunate demise due to the deadly Parkinson's disease, and wishes things had been different. The actor attended Acadia Pharmaceuticals ' New York City panel for Parkinson's Awareness Month and shed light on his fathers's struggles with hallucinations and delusions. Impact of Parkinson's on Ryan Reynolds' father James Chester, the father of Reynolds, passed away at 74 after battling with Parkinson's for two decades. The 48-year-old actor shed light on his father's diagnosis by stating, 'A man with four children, working class, dealing with a disease that is degenerative and something that will one day render him physically unable to take care of himself or others, that is going to have a profound effect on the psyche. That's not easy,' he said to People. One thing that could've been different The one thing he wishes had been different is that the modern medical treatment given by the pharmaceuticals was available when his father was struggling. He further added that while he was one of the many patients experiencing hallucinations and delusions, Chester might've stated the term 'Parkinson's' probably twice in his entire life. 'He certainly wasn't going to talk about some of the psychological effects it was having on him. And if there was treatment for that, if there was something available back then, I think his whole life would've improved. I think his sense of well-being would've been restored. His sense of reality would've been restored,' Ryan Reynolds added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo While Ryan's father had the disorder, his mother had suffered as well, being the sole caregiver. 'She was the primary caregiver for my father. And when you have somebody who's very prideful like that, he's not going to accept help from anyone else. So I feel for them as much as I do the patients,' the actor said. Stay updated with the latest Best Hindi Movies , Best Tamil Movies , Best Telugu Movies , Best english Movies , Best Malayalam Movies
The Age
26-04-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘Why wait?' Emma and Martin bonded over their early-onset Parkinson's
This story is part of the April 26 edition of Good Weekend. See all 11 stories. Both Emma Tinkler, 49, a former travel agent, and Martin Ostrowski, 50, a former marine scientist, have early-onset Parkinson's disease. They met doing advocacy work and have been dating for almost a year. Emma: I'd known Martin for a week when I asked him to come to a neurology appointment with me in May last year. It's always good to have another pair of ears when you see a specialist. He agreed without hesitation. They always ask about your bowel movements at these appointments, but I felt totally comfortable discussing that in front of him. It evolved from there. A month or so later, he texted me saying he was coming to my apartment via a patisserie. I messaged back, 'That's talking dirty.' Silence. I thought, 'Oh god, I've gone too far too early.' Then he texted back, 'Yes, 50 shades of caramelisation.' It was on. He made us a shared Spotify playlist and said 'I love you' after two weeks. Which might freak some people out, but it didn't bother me at all. We'd both had a really shitty time with our disease before we met and now appreciate good times. We thought, why wait? No couple ever knows what's around the corner, but having Parkinson's brings up a lot of what-ifs. I try not to think about it too much because I can go to a dark place. One night early on, we were cuddling in bed when I thought about us together as old people and started to cry. People with late-stage Parkinson's have a higher chance of developing dementia and I was picturing two old, lost people. What would happen to us? Martin kept his cool; he just said, 'I've got you.' 'We never get the shits with each other about this stuff because we know how it feels.' Emma Tinkler There are bad days but also bad hours; it can change in minutes. If my gait is slow or it feels as if my body's tightening from the inside and I don't have the bandwidth for a proper conversation while I'm dealing with symptoms, Martin totally gets it. I was having a bad time on New Year's Eve. We were leaving in 15 minutes to go to a party when I told him I didn't think I'd be able to get there because my meds weren't kicking in and I felt as if I had weights on my wrists and ankles. He said, 'OK, let's just stay in bed.' We never get the shits with each other about this stuff because we know how it feels. If I need something from downstairs, I'll say, 'Are your legs working better than mine? Can you grab my phone?' Or when he's having difficulty putting his socks on – one of the symptoms is a loss of dexterity in your fingers – I help him. He found it difficult to receive help at first because he's been so independent. Together, we're trying to raise awareness of how many younger people get Parkinson's [April is Parkinson's Awareness Month ]. It's the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Before we met, Martin had deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery; you're actually awake for part of it. Although it's changed his life, it still scares me to think about, but he just says, 'You'll know when you're ready.' Sleep can be an issue for people with Parkinson's. His has improved since the surgery, but I still wake him up at 3am. He never makes me feel like it's a problem. Everything's quiet, so we just lie there and talk.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Reynolds Shares the Sweet Family Tradition His Father Started That He's Continuing with His 4 Kids (Exclusive)
Ryan Reynolds is sharing one of his family's most special traditions. On Friday, April 25, the actor, 48, attended Acadia Pharmaceuticals' New York City panel for Parkinson's Awareness Month and opened up to PEOPLE about his father's life with the disease. The Deadpool & Wolverine star's father James Chester died in 2015 at age 74 after living with Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years. After his father's death, Reynolds learned of his dad's struggle with hallucinations and delusions — two lesser-known symptoms of Parkinson's — and partnered with the educational campaign More to Parkinson's, which offers resources to patients and caregivers. During an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, he opened up about why he thinks his three daughters, whom he shares with wife Blake Lively, would have changed his father's life "profoundly" as they did for him. "I think my dad, being a father of four boys, if he had met these three little girls that we have, I think it would've changed profoundly if I really do," he said. "Obviously they changed me profoundly, but he really would've benefited. I think actually, I know this sounds maybe [like] a I think his health would've improved if he'd been able to spend some time with them. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Ryan Reynolds Says 2-Year-Old Son Olin's Favorite Movie Has This Sweet Connection to Famous Parents Reynolds also shared the special tradition that his father did with him and his brothers that he passed onto his three girls. "The one thing I do have is every year he sent away to the Canadian Mint and he would buy the packet of coins. It was probably $15 and it wasn't very extravagant, but every year, all my brothers, we all have from the year we're born to the last time he did it," he shared. "My youngest daughter, Betty, is kind of obsessed with it. That's sort of our thing," he continued. "We actually traveled to the Canadian Mint, [and]...I felt like I was taking my dad with us and I do the same thing. I get them [a] package. They don't even know. I mean, they know, but they don't care yet. They will later maybe." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Since tying the knot in 2012, Reynolds and Lively have welcomed three adorable daughters: Betty, 5, Inez, 8, and James, 10. In February 2023, Lively shared that she and Reynolds had quietly welcomed their fourth baby, son Olin, 2. In addition to having famous parents, the Reynolds brood has global popstar Taylor Swift as a godmother. The "Betty" singer revealed her special title on Instagram in July 2024 when she referred to the Reynolds as her "godkids' sperm donor." Despite having four kids, the Free Guy actor has not completely dismissing the idea of adding more children to the mix. In July 2024, Reynolds joked that he and Lively might not be done having kids, telling E! News, 'The more the merrier. As many as possible. As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house. I love it. Let's have more!' Read the original article on People
The Age
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘Why wait?': Emma and Martin bonded over their early-onset Parkinson's
Both Emma Tinkler, 49, a former travel agent, and Martin Ostrowski, 50, a former marine scientist, have early-onset Parkinson's disease. They met doing advocacy work and have been dating for almost a year. Emma: I'd known Martin for a week when I asked him to come to a neurology appointment with me in May last year. It's always good to have another pair of ears when you see a specialist. He agreed without hesitation. They always ask about your bowel movements at these appointments, but I felt totally comfortable discussing that in front of him. It evolved from there. A month or so later, he texted me saying he was coming to my Redfern apartment via a patisserie. I messaged back, 'That's talking dirty.' Silence. I thought, 'Oh god, I've gone too far too early.' Then he texted back, 'Yes, 50 shades of caramelisation.' It was on. He made us a shared Spotify playlist and said 'I love you' after two weeks. Which might freak some people out, but it didn't bother me at all. We'd both had a really shitty time with our disease before we met and now appreciate good times. We thought, why wait? No couple ever knows what's around the corner, but having Parkinson's brings up a lot of what-ifs. I try not to think about it too much because I can go to a dark place. One night early on, we were cuddling in bed when I thought about us together as old people and started to cry. People with late-stage Parkinson's have a higher chance of developing dementia and I was picturing two old, lost people. What would happen to us? Martin kept his cool; he just said, 'I've got you.' 'We never get the shits with each other about this stuff because we know how it feels.' Emma Tinkler There are bad days but also bad hours; it can change in minutes. If my gait is slow or it feels as if my body's tightening from the inside and I don't have the bandwidth for a proper conversation while I'm dealing with symptoms, Martin totally gets it. I was having a bad time on New Year's Eve. We were leaving in 15 minutes to go to a party when I told him I didn't think I'd be able to get there because my meds weren't kicking in and I felt as if I had weights on my wrists and ankles. He said, 'OK, let's just stay in bed.' We never get the shits with each other about this stuff because we know how it feels. If I need something from downstairs, I'll say, 'Are your legs working better than mine? Can you grab my phone?' Or when he's having difficulty putting his socks on – one of the symptoms is a loss of dexterity in your fingers – I help him. He found it difficult to receive help at first because he's been so independent. Together, we're trying to raise awareness of how many younger people get Parkinson's [April is Parkinson's Awareness Month ]. It's the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Before we met, Martin had deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery; you're actually awake for part of it. Although it's changed his life, it still scares me to think about, but he just says, 'You'll know when you're ready.' Sleep can be an issue for people with Parkinson's. His has improved since surgery, but I still wake him up at 3am. He never makes me feel like it's a problem. Everything's quiet and so we just lie there and talk.
