Eye Scans Could Detect First Signs Of Diseases
Laser Devices Could Allow Early Detection Of Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

POSTED: 8:45 pm MDT May 18, 2008
UPDATED: 7:42 pm MDT May 20, 2008
The Denver Channel.com (TV 7)
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/heal...den&psp=health

More than 46 million Americans live with diabetes, Parkinson's, cataracts and Alzheimer's. For some, early detection could lessen the diseases' impact, but for others, there is little doctors can do to detect the conditions before they progress.

Parkinson's, for example, develops when neurons in the brain become damaged or deleted, but the first signs of the disease are not obvious until 80 percent of these neurons are damaged beyond repair. Other tests, like those for diabetes, can be painful and long, requiring patients to drink a syrupy liquid, then have their blood drawn.

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Until there is some treatment identified that will slow the progression of the disease, I would not recommend anyone find out too soon about PD. It would make you uninsurable that much earlier...

Jean

This might help people who have trouble getting diagnosed because their presenting symptoms of Parkinson's are atypical, like mine were. In Jan. 2000 I was using a cane to walk, but a prominent movement disorder specialist told me there was nothing wrong with me and suggested I was depressed. I was depressed after that doctor visit, but not before. I was already uninsurable for disability insurance due to the fact that I was seeing neurologists. Today, it is obvious that I have Parkinson's due to the progression and the improvement of my symptoms when I take Parkinson's meds, but I still do not have a tremor.