^^^^^^GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^
Ivan Suzman 47/10 [log in to unmask]
Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 63 deg. F black-eyed susans
open
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Dear LIST,
In reference to "How many PWP's are there??".....I think it is terribly
important that we think in terms of those whose genetic make-up WILL
cause Parkinson's, in whom it is lurking like a deep-sea shark, waiting
to make its appearance. I am asking that we EXPAND the term PWP to
include those who, with genetic screening tests, could be recognized as
pre-symptomatic, and WARNED IN ADVANCE of impending PD waiting to strike.
I took the 23 million American PWP's figure directly from an editorial
written in the Gannett newspaper, the Portland Press-Herald, last year,
in support of the Udall Bill.
This estimate seems to be derived, according to George Neovall, editor,
from 1/10 of the estimated population of the USA, which is about 230
million.
The 1/10, not the .01 rate of occurrence I had sent to you two days ago,,
is based on an estimate that 1 OF EVERY 10 PERSONS OLDER THAN 60 WILL
EVENTUALLY DEVELOP, OR ALREADY HAS PARKINSON'S. This includes millions
of Americans who may have the genetic make-up that will eventually cause
PD, but in whom PD has not appeared YET.
Today, the Press-Herald editor, George Neovall, called me twice, to
say he would be interested in our list's comments on his 10%-over-60 PWP
forecast, and confirmed that he did use 23 million PWP's in his recent
editorial. He said that his source for the 23 million PWP count is filed
in the newpaper's records.
So, I have two questions:
1. Does anyone know of any sources for over-60 PWP estimates??
2. Specifically for the Udall bill battle, if we say 23 million American
PWP's, of which perhaps 21 million are pre-symptomatic and 2 million show
VISIBLE symptoms, won't we be more persuasive in Washington??
Prof. Ivan Suzman
Portland, Maine
