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MEDTRIB: TREMORS OF OLD AGE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THOUGHT (1/10) BY THERESA TAMKINS c.1996 Medical Tribune News Service Because many elderly people develop tremors, a slow, shuffling walk and muscle rigidity, the condition often has been dismissed as a harmless symptom of aging. But in a study of 467 Boston residents, researchers found that elderly people with these symptoms -known as parkinsonism - were twice as likely to die during a nine-year period than people the same age who did not have such problems. Parkinsonism, which sometimes includes mild paralysis and difficulty chewing, swallowing and speaking, can be the result of nerve damage in the brain caused by a stroke, medication or unknown factors. It also can be an early sign of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. The condition was surprisingly common in the study, according to Dr. David Bennett of the Rush Institute on Aging in Chicago. About 15 percent of people ages 65 to 74 had parkinsonism, as did 30 percent of 75- to 84-year-olds. And more than half of all people over age 85 had such symptoms, Bennett reported Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine. About eight million people over age 65 in the United States may suffer from the signs of parkinsonism, according to Bennett. ``This is a big problem,'' he said. ``If this is associated with disability, this could be a condition with a great deal of personal and societal cost.'' The researchers were unable to pinpoint a specific cause of death associated with parkinsonism. It may be that the shuffling gait and slowed reactions of people with parkinsonism increase their chances of falling and breaking a hip, which is associated with an increased risk of dying, according to the Chicago researcher. ``On the other hand, there could be another condition causing the parkinsonian signs and causing death,'' he said. ``This paper doesn't answer that question.'' People who have difficulty swallowing may be at risk of pneumonia because they have trouble clearing fluid from the throat, suggested Dr. Myron Miller, a professor of geriatrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Not everyone over age 65 with one of the symptoms of parkinsonism actually has the disorder, according to Miller. In the study, only people who had two or more of the following symptoms were considered to have parkinsonism: abnormally slowed speech or movement, walking problems, rigid muscles or tremors. People who have signs of the condition should consult their doctor, who may be able to treat the underlying cause of the symptoms. Physicians also can offer advice on preventing falls or other injuries, thus reducing the risk of death, Miller said. ``This is not something we should view as a normal [sign] of aging, '' Bennett said. ``If somebody is not walking well, it certainly should be investigated by a physician,'' rather than considered a benign condition of old age. NYT-01-10-96 1708EST