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From: R.C. Able >I could be >all wet here, but I was under the impression Parkinson's is *not* a "fatal >disease," per se. Officially, no. I have only seen one instance where PD was nominated on a death certificate as the cause of death. But I think that saying "PD doesn't kill you" is like saying "A fall from a twenty-storey building won't kill you". No, what kills you is the sudden collision with the pavement! It is important for both PWPs and carers that they don't attribute ALL symptoms as "just another PD side-effect", and that they realise that, since PD affects the central nervous system, and thereby the heart, liver, lungs, etc., etc., it contributes to a general downturn in viability, and ultimately death. There are a number of research papers linking PD with increased morbidity and mortality factors . I still hear of cases of elderly patients in nursing homes who die unnecessarily early due to mis-medication, lack of appropriate medication, and/or the ignoring of PD effects on bodily organs. And PD, especially when it leads to an inability to communicate by any means, is one of the prime culprits. Having said that, I must add that with adequate care and appropriate medication, geared to the particular needs of individual PWPs, there is no reason why the lifespan of PWPs need be much less than that of their non-PD fellows. Jim