Dear Friend of PDF,

Here's some news that may get you moving: Regular, vigorous exercise in young and middle-aged men may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a study reported last month.

The study, conducted by Dr. Albert Ascherio and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, and published in the journal Neurology, suggests that for men, exercise is neuroprotective. The study did not establish a link for women between exercise and the risk of Parkinson's.

Researchers examined information collected from two large studies, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses' Health Study. Participants completed questionnaires on lifestyle, disease history, and physical activity over most of their lives, and then updated the information every two years between 1986 and 2000.

                    
                    This new study confirms a number of smaller studies, 
                    conducted with animals, indicating that exercise at any time 
                    of life may be useful in minimizing the effects of 
                    Parkinson's. PDF offers its own exercise program for people 
                    with Parkinson's, "Motivating Moves." This 90-minute seated 
                    exercise program, designed by movement specialist Janet 
                    Hamburg, is available in video or DVD format. You can order 
                    your copy of "Motivating Moves" for $14.95 plus shipping 
                    through the PDF website. Click 
                    here to learn more. 

Researchers point out that much of the difference in the over-all results between men and women might be explained by the fact that the people surveyed grew up at a time when there was less emphasis on exercise for females, most notably for school-age girls.

However, they added that the risk of PD was substantially lower among those women who did report engaging in strenuous exercise, such as basketball or running, during early adulthood.

Among men, the scientists found that as physical activity in their younger years had increased, the risk of Parkinson's seemed to decrease. Men who reported having been the most physically active cut their risk of developing PD by 50 percent compared to men who had been the least physically active.

                    
                    
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PDF recognizes the importance of providing to the Parkinson's community timely and useful information such as the contents of this excerpt adapted from our website, www.pdf.org. I hope you've enjoyed reading the latest of our monthly e-mail bulletins, which highlight our actions at PDF and the advances that are made in PD research and in improving the lives of Parkinson's patients.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Yours very truly,

Robin Anthony Elliott
Executive Director

                    
                    
                    There's news, too, from PDF itself. The organization has 
                    moved from upper Manhattan into the heart of New York City's 
                    Midtown. While we will continue to maintain offices in 
                    Chicago and at Columbia University Medical Center, you can 
                    now reach us at our new address at 1359 Broadway, Suite 
                    1509, New York, NY 10018. 
                    

Parkinson's Disease Foundation · 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509 · New York, NY · 10018 · www.pdf.org

Exercising may prevent Parkinson's disease!:

[Health India]: Washington, Oct 25 : Regular exercising may prevent Parkinson's disease, a new study has shown.

The study conducted by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that exercise prevents degeneration of nerve cells that are normally impaired or destroyed by Parkinson's in an animal model of the disease.

In Parkinson's, cells in the brain that contain dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential for purposeful and facile muscle control, progressively die until only a small percentage remains, thus resulting in uncontrollable tremors, rigidity of limbs, slow movements and stooped posture.

During the study the researchers examined the brains of rats that had been forced to exercise for seven days before receiving a toxin that normally induces Parkinson's disease. They found that, compared to animals that had not been exercised, significantly fewer dopamine-containing neurons died.

"Whereas a number of explanations could be offered as to why the exercised animals do so well, we have evidence that indicates it's because exercise stimulates production of key proteins that are important for survival of neurons," the study's senior author, Michael J. Zigmond, professor of neurology, neurobiology and psychiatry, and co-director of the Parkinson's Disease Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said.

To determine if forcing exercise of a particular limb could be protective against Parkinson's, Dr. Zigmond's group performed a study whereby one forelimb was immobilized in a cast for seven days, placing more physical demands on the free forelimb and found no deficits in movement with either limb. Most importantly, the limb that had been exercised and should have been affected by the toxin was fine.

"Whether exercise can reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease or can slow down its progression are intriguing questions. We are certainly encouraged that in our experimental models we can demonstrate that this sort of forced exercise improves motor function and

protects the neurons affected by the disease," added Dr. Zigmond.(ANI)