In my boxing and dance classes for Parkinson’s, we often discuss the differences that seem to occur between women with Parkinson’s Disease and men with PD. My fighters agree that there are differences, but they’re not sure exactly what the differences are. Based on published research combined with my own years of working with Parkinson’s disease, it’s apparent women and men have differences. In this 3-part blog series, I’m going to discuss the top 7 things women with Parkinson’s may not know. Let’s get started!
PD is less common in women.
Differences in Parkinson’s disease symptoms vary from one person to the next, and many of these differences are due to gender. Statistics indicate women are less likely to get PD anywhere from “slightly less” to “half as frequent” with the symptom onset two-years later in women than men. Women are under-represented in PD research; consequently, the gaps in data could be due to a lower reported rate among women just like in other progressive diseases.
Women have different symptoms.
Women seem to show delayed onset of motor symptoms. Some evidence indicates women are more prone to depression and medication-associated dyskinesia. Women show less cognitive impairment and are less likely to show behavioral problems such as acting out physically or verbally. Women and men also have different responses to medications. Women typically weigh less and maybe more sensitive to the drugs; estrogen is also thought to be responsible for the different responses but further research is needed.
Stay tuned for part 2 of Things Women With Parkinson’s Disease May Not Know About. It gets even better.