J. R. Bruman wrote:
> robert l dolezal wrote:
Bob, one of us is confused. At the Kaiser Medical Library just today
I copied the first page of the article at the location you cite. It's
a good account...but I must have missed the disturbing estimates of PD
incidence that prompted your letter.<
AND
robert l dolezal wrote:
>J.R. - We both are. I simply reiterated Judith's citation. Certainly
your iteration of the study fits Judith's transmission. I suspect we
are talking about the same study - but if I erred, I am sure NEJofM
will clarify it.>
Joe and Bob,
I didn't write sooner because we just got back from the Parkinson AGM
in Quebec City. Re the above, my husband posted the explanation for this
on Thursday. If you missed it...
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 13:56:00 -0500
From: alan richards <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: How many have PD?
I have noted the letters recently about statistics concerning the
number of people with Parkinsons. They range from "one in 20 in the
U.S." to "1,000,000 in the U.S." to "7,000,000 around the world," and
from "60,000 in Canada" to "100,000 in Canada." As far as I know, there
is no registry of Parkinsonians, and no firm numbers anywhere. They are
all estimates. Some will be more accurate than others.
[[ I doubt that the statistics were part of the New England Journal of
Medicine article, but were added by the news agencies. As a former
newspaperman, I know that such numbers are pulled from archives to
insert in stories, as background material. ]]
It would be nice if an authoritative body such as APDA, NPF or the
Canadian Parkinsons Foundation would do a survey of neurologists around
the county/world to get firm numbers on which to base the guesstimates.
And it would be even nicer if all journalists would "cite your sources!"
It's a basic rule of good reporting!
Some time ago there was a proposal that a Parkinsons Registry be set up,
but the subject was dropped when many people objected because of privacy
concerns, etc.; without a registry, accurate statistics are impossible.
Alan E. Richards, London, Ont., Canada
--
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
<[log in to unmask]>
^^^
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