07/03/2022

ESTEVE AND FEP JOIN FORCES TO RAISE AWARENESS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

ESTEVE and the Spanish Parkinson's Federation sign a collaboration agreement to promote different initiatives related to Parkinson's disease.

One of the objectives of the agreement is to disseminate relevant and quality information about research into this pathology through the Parkinson's Observatory project.

This agreement will support people with Parkinson's disease and their families and caregivers by providing the information, guidance and training that they needed to maintain a good quality of life.

At least 160,000 people¹ are affected by this pathology in Spain and every year some 10,000 new cases are diagnosed². Parkinson's disease is the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease in our country after Alzheimer's disease.

ESTEVE and the Spanish Parkinson's Federation (FEP) have signed a collaboration agreement to cooperate and collaborate in raising both the visibility and the awareness of Parkinson's disease and in the exchange of information and knowledge about the disease. This reinforces ESTEVE's commitment to respond to patients' needs, recognizing that people are what matter most and thereby lending a voice to a federation that defends the interests of people who have this disease.

Central Nervous System diseases are in fact one of ESTEVE's main therapeutic areas. Through this collaboration agreement, the company is seeking to promote the participation of affected persons, caregivers and family members. In this way, the company intends to work hard to make them the center of attention.

The activities envisaged in the agreement include the implementation of online training workshops within the framework of the Parkinson's Observatory project, which is a space for the dissemination and promotion of the participation of people with Parkinson's disease in research; the implementation of online courses and workshops through the Parkinson's Classroom training platform whose aim is to offer people living with Parkinson's disease, their families and caregivers the information, guidance and training they need to maintain a good quality of life; as well as training activities aimed at professionals in the form of master classes on the fluctuations of this pathology.

Certain actions are already being offered within the framework of this collaboration such as, for example, the 11th edition of the Parkinson's Course which took place from 7 February to 4 March, during which 77 people received training, or the second edition of the Care Course (registration has opened today), which will take place from 14 March to 8 April. For more information, please click on this link.

Parkinson's disease on the rise in recent decades

According to data from the White Paper on Parkinson's in Spain - published by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality and co-published by the Spanish Parkinson's Federation - this chronic and progressive neurological disease affects at least 160,000 people in Spain.¹ According to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), about 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year². This makes it the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease in our country after Alzheimer's disease³ Moreover, the incidence and prevalence of this disease has increased considerably in recent decades, and it is estimated that these figures may well triple within 30 years.²

Despite this, this disease is considered to be underdiagnosed, as estimates suggest that at least 28% of affected individuals go undiagnosed and it takes an average of 1 to 3 years to obtain a diagnosis.²

Fortunately, in recent years there has also been a considerable increase in the life expectancy of people with Parkinson's disease, something that is due, among other things, to diagnostic and therapeutic advances and to the fact that we now have a better understanding of the disease, both socially and scientifically.

Although Parkinson's disease is usually associated with motor symptoms, such as tremor, rigidity or gait disorders, 30% of those affected do not experience trembling&sup4;. On many occasions however, before the onset of motor symptoms, other non-motor symptoms such as cognitive or gastrointestinal disorders do arise, which makes early diagnosis difficult².

Aging is the most important non-modifiable risk factor for this disease, which is clearly related to increasing age&sup5;. However, it is by no means a disease that is exclusive to the elderly and although 70% of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are indeed over 65 years of age, 15% of cases occur in people under 50 years of age and there may even be patients who develop the disease in childhood or adolescence.²


References:

1- The White Book on Parkinson's Disease in Spain. https://www.esparkinson.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/libro_blanco.pdf
2- Spanish Society of Neurology. 2018. https://www.sen.es/saladeprensa/pdf/Link268.pdf
3- R. García-Ramos, E. López Valdés, L. Ballesteros, S. Jesús, P. Mir. Report of the Brain Foundation on the social impact of Parkinson's disease in Spain. Neurology, Volume 31, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 401-413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrl.2013.04.008.
4- López del Val J. y Linazasoro G. Parkinson and Dyskinesias. Editorial Médica Panamericana. 2012.
5- De la Casa B. and Spanish Parkinson's Federation (FEP). Parkinson's Disease Information Guide. 2012.