Every hour, someone in the UK receives the devastating news that they have Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In all, around 127,000 people in the UK are living with PD; a startling 1 in 500!

Most people with PD are aged 50 years or older, but younger people can develop it too. PD also affects roughly twice as many men as women.

People with PD cannot make enough of a substance called dopamine, because certain nerve cells in their brain have died. This causes major problems, because the brain uses dopamine to help control movement.

Without sufficient dopamine, movements become slower, so it takes longer to do everyday things, such as dressing, eating and using a phone or computer. Needless to say, this has a huge negative impact on life, which gets progressively worse over time.

While there is currently no cure for PD, a range of treatments are available to help control symptoms and maintain quality-of-life.

Extensive research is also ongoing, offering new hope for those with this devastating disease.

Increased awareness is often the key to greater action, so please take a moment to share our PD infographic on social media.