Notable Celebrities Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in Their 40s

Notable 42 Year Olds Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.

Understanding Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine. Some of the symptoms include:

• Tremor - A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor.
• Slowed motion (bradykinesia) - Over time, Parkinson's disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.
• Rigid muscles - Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body.
• Impaired posture and balance - Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a result of Parkinson's disease.

As the disease progresses, you may have difficulty walking and talking. Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side even after symptoms begin to affect both sides. Parkinson's disease itself is not fatal, but disease complications can be serious. The disease worsens over time and medications may stop working as well they used to.

What Causes Parkinson's Disease?

In Parkinson's disease, certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Many of the symptoms are due to a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine. When dopamine levels decrease, it causes abnormal brain activity, leading to impaired movement and other symptoms. The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown. Some research points to certain genes and environmental factors.

Famous 42 Year Olds With Parkinson's

A number of celebrities and well known people have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around the age of 42. Here are a few notable people who began experiencing symptoms of Parkinson's in their early 40s.

Michael J. Fox

In 1991, popular actor Michael J. Fox, best known for starring in the Back to the Future movies and TV sitcom Family Ties, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinsons disease at just 29 years old. However, he did not disclose his diagnosis to the public until 1998, at age 37, after noticing that his symptoms were getting worse with more frequent tremors and slurred speech.

By the time he was in his early 40s, Fox had retired from regular acting due to struggles with remembering lines and cues. He created the Michael J. Fox Foundation dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinsons through research and has continued acting occasionally in guest starring roles.

Neil Diamond

Legendary singer Neil Diamond revealed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease at some point after beginning to experience hand tremors during his concert performances. In January 2022, Diamond celebrated his 81st birthday, meaning he was likely around 42 years old when he first began experiencing symptoms.

After keeping his struggles private for several years, Diamond eventually needed to retire from touring due to the progression of his disease near age 77. He expressed difficulty with traveling and continuing his physically demanding musical performances but said he still plans to write and record songs as he can.

Ozzy Osbourne

In 2019, rockstar Ozzy Osbourne publicly shared his Parkinsons diagnosis after experiencing health complications from a fall that aggravated earlier nerve damage from a quad biking accident. His family estimates he was likely experiencing early symptoms for over 10 years before the official diagnosis.

Osbourne rose to fame in his 20s as lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Although not confirmed, calculations indicate he would have been around age 42 over 10 years prior to going public. Despite struggles with walking and nerve pain, Osbourne continues to try to remain as active as possible with treatments.

Alan Alda

Beloved TV actor Alan Alda, known best as Hawkeye Pierce on the 70s series M*A*S*H, began experiencing minor tremors in his thumbs in his early 40s. Initially unsure if it was Parkinsons, he did not get an official diagnosis until 2015 when he was 79 years old. Looking back, he realizes the very minor symptoms he noticed back in his 40s were likely early warnings signs of the disease.

Now in his later 80s, Alda has learned to adapt and cope well with Parkinsons symptoms with regular boxing workouts and acting as much as he can. He helps educate others through public speaking engagements about learning to live with degenerative neurological diseases.

Early Treatment Options

Parkinson's disease itself is not fatal, but disease complications can be serious. There's no cure for Parkinson's disease. Treatment options vary based on your symptoms and disease progression. The goal is to provide relief of symptoms and to delay further progression for as long as possible.

In early stages, medications may provide substantial benefits for maintaining normal functionality. Over time, the benefits from drugs decrease, and side effects become more troublesome. At this point, surgical interventions may be considered. Targeted drug delivery and individualized management maximize benefit in appropriate candidates. Participating in clinical trials may offer access to experimental therapies.

Medications for Motor Symptoms

Motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease often start with side-to-side shaking or tremor of a limb. Over time, muscle stiffness (rigidity), slow movements (bradykinesia) and problems with posture, balance and falls become more troublesome. The adequate treatment of motor symptoms aims to prevent injury from falls while enabling you to complete routine daily activities.

Medications that increase brain dopamine concentrations can help manage these Parkinson motor symptoms, though their effectiveness decreases with time. They include:

• Carbidopa-levodopa
• Dopamine agonists
• MAO-B inhibitors
• Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors

Other Medications

Other medications may be used to help treat other troubling symptoms like depression, sleep disturbances, drooling, mood swings, dementia, nausea and constipation.

Therapies & Treatment Options

As alternative or complementary treatment options, many individuals with Parkinson's disease have tried therapies like acupuncture, massage, tai chi, yoga and naturopathy with mixed success. Talk to your doctor before trying one of these alternative options to understand potential benefits and risks.

In advanced Parkinson's disease cases, Deep Brain Stimulation surgery may be an option to regulate brain activity by inserting electrodes in very precise parts of your brain.

Supporting Those With Parkinson's

Receiving strong social support from family, friends, health care providers can greatly increase quality of life for those living with Parkinson's disease. In addition, Parkinson's support groups allow people with the disease to both commiserate and encourage one another as they share their experiences of living with Parkinsons.

It can be a challenging diagnosis to receive, but thankfully more treatment options and support communities exist now than ever before. Increased advocacy and research funding for Parkinson's continues to provide hope for more positive treatment discoveries in years to come.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.