Sixty-one percent of women reported that their Parkinson’s negatively impacts their self-image, according to a new survey by Parkinson’s advocate group, PD Avengers, and a collection of women living with Parkinson’s. Slowness of movement, rigidity, and tremor — common symptoms of the progressive neurodegenerative disease — had the greatest impact on negative self-image.
The result offers a rare glimpse into how Parkinson’s disease manifests in women and how they cope. It's just a glimpse because of a fundamental knowledge gap about Parkinson’s in women.
"Current literature is scarce and conflicting with how this disease affects women. There are currently no expert opinion guidelines on how to manage PD symptoms in [women]," write Dr. Soania Mathur, Kat Hill, and Dr. Kristi LaMonica in a commentary about the research initiative.
Stay tuned for more results. Future surveys from this group, in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, will look at Parkinson’s in pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women.
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