Creating awareness of the disease and effective detection and intervention in the early stages are key to prolonging patients' life, local medical experts said yesterday, also marked as World Parkinson's Disease Day.

    Experts said Parkinson's disease is the third most common illness for the elderly following stroke and Alzheimer's disease, with China home to 1.7 million patients.

    Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. Slow movement and sporadic shaking are early signs of the disease, which can develop into muscle shirking, serious tremor, poor coordination and inability to take care of oneself.

    In 1986, the incidence of Parkinson disease was 43.6 in every 100,000 Chinese over 65 years old but the rate has climbed to 1.13 percent among the elderly, a 23-fold rise.

    "In addition to genetic causes, people should avoid risks like exposure to environmental pollution and chemicals," said Dr Jiang Yuping of Huashan Hospital.

    Doctors said there are effective therapies for Parkinson's disease though early diagnosis and intervention can ensure a better life quality, postpone the worsening of the disease and prolong patient's life.

    "A patient's life can be prolonged from between nine years to 15-20 years," according to Dr Chen Shengdi of Ruijin Hospital.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily)