Parkinson's Disease is one that affects the neurons that make Dopamine. It is a disorder that leads to tremors, difficulty walking and difficulity with coordination and movement. There are three genes related to Parkinson's and they aer SNCA, LRRK2, and MAPT. There are several symptoms related to this disease. Some of them include: tremors, blinking, low blood pressure when getting up, difficulty swallowing, drooling, loss of small hand movements, stiff muscles, anxiety, stress, confusion and depression. There is no cure for this disease but medications are used to increase the level of Dopamine in the brain. The two types of Parkinson's Disease are tremor dominant, and PIGD or partial instability gate of difficulty.
I found an article that discusses the life expectancy of those diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. The article shows how the life expectancy depends on the age a person is when diagnosed. For example, if you were to get Parkinson's Disease between the ages of 25-39, you could expect to live about 38 more years. If you were to get the disease betweent the ages of 40-64, you could expect to live 21 more years. Finally, if you get the disease when you are 65 or older, you can expect to live 5 more years (Robinson, 2008).
Link: http://www.mdvu.org/emove/article.asp?ID=1013
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