Of the roughly 1 million U.S. residents with Parkinson’s disease, some 110,000 are veterans. To improve this population’s health, well-being, and quality of life, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has formed a partnership with the Parkinson’s Foundation.
The intent of the collaboration is to ensure that veterans
diagnosed with Parkinson’s have the information and resources needed to
effectively manage their condition, which has an economic burden of Parkinson’s
of nearly $52 billion annually, according to a recent study published by the
Michael J. Fox Foundation with support from the Parkinson’s Foundation and
others.
“We’ve found that veterans are not always aware of the
Parkinson’s-related resources and services available through the VA, which
leads to them being underserved in terms of healthcare access,” Veronica
“Ronnie” Todaro, executive vice president and chief operating officer,
Parkinson’s Foundation, said in a press release.
“Our partnership with the VA is designed to improve our
understanding of priorities so we can fill those gaps. We want to make sure
Parkinson’s is identified early so that people can engage with providers who
have experience with the disease, as well as have the information they need to
best manage their PD,” said Todaro.
About half of veterans are at least age 65, putting them at
greater risk for Parkinson’s, which usually manifests in patients 50 and older.
In addition, many veterans have sustained traumatic head injury or have been
exposed to environmental hazards, both of which are associated with Parkinson’s
development. In particular, those who served from 1962 to 1975 are at an
increased risk of the progressive disease due to the military’s tactical use of
the herbicide Agent Orange.
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