In France, approximately 200,000 people suffer from Parkinson’s disease. This chronic neurodegenerative disease (characterized by the destruction of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain) manifests itself through 3 specific symptoms: slowness in movement, rigidity of the limbs and tremor at rest.
According to a recent survey conducted by the association Parkinson’s UK (in Britain), more than a quarter of patients with Parkinson’s disease have been misdiagnosed.
The researchers worked from a group of 2,000 British volunteers, all affected by this neurodegenerative pathology. They found that 26% of patients were first diagnosed with another disease, while 21% of patients were required to see their GP 3 or more times before being referred to a specialist in Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinsons.
Medicines and operations… useless!
Among the 26% of volunteers who were misdiagnosed, 48% were treated for a supposed (and imaginary) illness – thus, 36% were prescribed medication, 6% underwent surgery and 6% were entitled to medical treatment. two. Worse no doubt: 34% of patients misdiagnosed and treated for a non-existent disease claim to have seen their state of health deteriorate…
According to the figures, women suffering from Parkinson’s disease are more likely to be misdiagnosed than men; diagnostic errors are also more frequent between the ages of 51 and 60.
“Parkinson’s disease is a complex pathology that can manifest itself through more than 40 different symptoms: because of this, patients undergo sometimes long therapeutic wanderings and their state of health deteriorates little by little.“analyze the experts of the Parkinson’s UK association.
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