Boehringer Ingelheim and National Parkinson Foundation Introduce Planning
Your Course, an Educational Program for People Newly Diagnosed With
Parkinson's Disease
Tuesday December 12, 9:00 am ET
With the help of pro golfer Cherie Zaun, the program aims to empower and
educate people with Parkinson's disease
RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- People newly diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease now have valuable information available at their
fingertips, with a new program called Planning Your Course. Professional
golfer Cherie Zaun, diagnosed with the condition in 2003, has collaborated
with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the National Parkinson
Foundation (NPF) to develop Planning Your Course, a patient education
program specifically designed for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease. Today, more than a million Americans have the disease, and
approximately 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Planning Your Course is part of the ongoing commitment from Boehringer
Ingelheim to providing people with Parkinson's disease, and their
caregivers, the tools they need to better understand and manage this chronic
condition. Available free of charge via www.planningyourcourse.com, an
informational booklet and DVD are central to this educational program. These
materials include information on coping with the diagnosis, living well with
Parkinson's disease, support services, treatment options, as well as a
glossary of terms and advice on how family and loved ones can help.
Ms. Zaun, who helped develop and is featured in Planning Your Course, hopes
that hearing her story will help encourage and motivate people newly
diagnosed with the disease to maintain a positive attitude and take control
of their lives.
"When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, my family and I were
determined to educate ourselves as much as possible, but trying to get
information was overwhelming," said Cherie Zaun. "I teamed up with
Boehringer Ingelheim on Planning Your Course to provide other people with
Parkinson's with the facts they need in one comprehensive and
easy-to-understand format."
"We are proud to be part of this educational initiative," said Ruth
Hagestuen, RN, MA, National Parkinson Foundation Director of Field Services.
"One of our primary goals is to ensure that people with Parkinson's disease
have the information they need to understand their condition. We applaud
Cherie Zaun for speaking out about her experience with Parkinson's disease
and for encouraging patients to stay positive and remain physically active
to help live well with this condition."
About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease affects approximately one percent of people over age 60,
causing tremor, muscle rigidity, slowed motion, shuffling gait and a loss of
facial expression. Approximately 15 percent of patients develop Parkinson's
disease before the age of 50. All of these effects vary from patient to
patient, but worsen over time. Parkinson's disease is the second most common
chronic neurological disorder in older adults after Alzheimer's.
National Parkinson Foundation
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Miami, the National Parkinson
Foundation's dual mission is to find the cause of and cure for Parkinson
disease and to improve the quality of life for those afflicted with the
debilitating disease. NPF has invested over $100 million in the fulfillment
of its mission and is dedicated to providing care, education and support
services for those whose lives are affected by Parkinson. Currently, the
centerpiece of NPF's research, care and delivery system is its international
network of 53 institutions worldwide that have achieved designation as NPF
Centers of Excellence, Care Centers and Outreach Centers and through its 41
affiliated Chapters.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the
largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation (Ridgefield, CT)
and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates
globally with 143 affiliates in 47 countries and approximately 37,500
employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been
committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel
products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
In 2005, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $11.8 billion (9.5
billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net sales in its
largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and
development.
For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Source: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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