Parkinson’s Disease (PD) affects nearly one million people in the U.S., and more than 90,000 are newly diagnosed each year – a 50% increase from previous estimates of 60,000 diagnoses per year. There is no “one way” to diagnose PD, making it difficult to recognize. Some early signs of PD can include tremors, small handwriting, loss of smell, trouble sleeping or walking, a soft or low voice, stooping or hunching over, as well as non-motor symptoms like depression and anxiety. No two people experience PD the same way.

John L. Lehr, President, and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation, and Vikas Chinnan, a person living with Young-Onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD), visit with Mark Alyn on Late Night Health to discuss how to recognize the disease and share information about resources available to help the PD community, including:

• Early signs of Parkinson’s and what you can do
• Learn about resources like the free PD Helpline, resource library, educational programs, a Newly Diagnosed kit, and the online community
• How to live well with Parkinson’s disease

The Parkinson’s Foundation is a trusted ally for information at every stage of PD, offering life-changing support to people living with the disease and their care partners. For more information, visit Parkinson.org or call the free Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) for support in English or Spanish.

JOHN L. LEHR is the president and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation, guiding the overall strategy, mission, programs, and resources that make life better for people with PD. He works to expand the Foundation’s research and care initiatives while also working to improve health equity in the PD community by providing support for populations that have been historically excluded from research and underserved by current resource efforts.

VIKAS CHINNAN lives with YOPD, and since being diagnosed, he has shifted his focus from his career to Parkinson’s advocacy and promoting awareness. Vikas is passionate about expanding access to resources to populations within the PD community that have been historically underserved and ensuring that employers across the country, large and small, are best equipped to support employees impacted by PD.

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