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List friends, I missed this live but got the written transcript of this segment which aired on our local cable last night. It talks about mjf and perhaps the pope having pd.I couldn't wair to post it so excuse the format. >> Tony: LOOKING AT OUR HEALTH NEWS NOW, HERE'S PAMELA. >> Pamela: THERE ARE NEW DRUGS TO TREAT IT, A NEW LEVEL OF WORLD'S WARINESS AND A MAJOR VANCOUVER CONNECTION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PARKINSON'S DISEASE. IN TERMS OF TREATMENT, THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR NEW DRUGS COMING ON THE MARKET. TWO ALREADY APPROVED. IN TERMS OF AWARENESS, TELEVISION STAR MICHAEL J. FOX WHO HAS PARKINSON'S HIMSELF IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY PUBLIC ABOUT THE DISEASE, AND THE VANCOUVER CONNECTION COMES FROM A LOCAL RESEARCHERSER WHO HAS JUST RECEIVED THE ORDER OF CANADA FOR HIS WORK WHICH MIGHT WELL LEAD TO A CURE. >> LIFT UP YOUR RIGHT HAND AND TAP THE THUMB WITH THE FIRST FINGER... >> (Reporter): BOB HORN IS ONE OF 100,000 CANADIANS WHO HAS PARKINSON'S DISEASE, A DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDER THAT CAUSES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NERVE CELLS THAT MAKE DOPAMINE, A CHEMICAL THAT HELPS COORDINATE MOVEMENT. >> THE SIMPLE THING LIKE OPENING A CREAMER FOR YOUR COFFEE OR OPENING A JAM CONTAINER, HAVE A PIECE OF TOAST, IS VERY DIFFICULT THING. >> (Reporter): THERE ARE SURGERIES THAT CAN HELP REDUCE SYMPTOMS AND DRUGS. IN THE LAST YEAR FOUR NEW MEDICATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. >> Mr. MICHAEL J. FOX. >> (Reporter): AT THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS LAST NIGHT MICHAEL J. FOX PROVED JUST HOW MUCH CURRENT THERAPIES HAVE HELPED HIM. >> I'D LIKE TO THANK MY DOCTOR, Dr. COME WHO ACTUALLY OPENED MY BRAIN, SO YOU GOTTA LIKE A GUY LIKE THAT. AND Dr. -- AND PUT IT ALL BACK IN PLACE AND -- HOPEFULLY. >> (Reporter): IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THERE IS NO CURE, NO WAY TO STOP THE DISEASE FROM PROGRESSING, AND THERE WON'T BE UNTIL THE CAUSE OF PARKINSON'S IS DISCOVERED. Dr. KAHN IS DEDICATED TO UNLOOKING THE MISI ARE TO FINING THE CAUSE. THIS MONTH HE WAS HONOURED WITH THE ORDER OF CANADA FOR HIS WORK. >> IT'S A DISEASE WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE A NUMBER OF KLAUS ABOUT BECAUSE WE KNOW WHICH CELLS ARE PRIMARILY INVOLVED AND WHAT THE CHEMICAL AGENT THAT THEY PRODUCE IS. AND WE CAN REPLACE THIS CHEMICAL AGENT AND HELP PATIENTS SO WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE ILLNESS BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE CAUSE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHY THE CELLS DIE. >> (Reporter): FINDING OUT WHY THE CELLS THAT PRODUCE DOPAMINE DIE MIGHT WELL BE DONE WITH THIS MACHINE, A PET SCAN. PARKINSON'S PATIENTS COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO HAVE Dr. CALNE'S RESEARCH TEAM TAKE IMAGES OF THEIR BRAIN HERE AT U.B.C. THIS IS THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CAUSES THE TROUBLE. IN A HEALTHY BRAIN IT APPEARS LARGE AND BRIGHT. THAT MEANS LOTS OF DOPAMINE IS BEING PRODUCED. BUT IN A PARKINSON'S BRAIN, VERY LITTLE DOPAMINE CAN BE PRODUCED SO THE IMAGE IS SMALLER. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE BETTER, BECAUSE THE INCIDENCE OF PARKINSON'S AND OTHER DEGENERATIVE BRAIN SKIESS IS ON THE RISE. >> PREVENT -- DISEASE IS HIS ON THE RISE. >> PRESENT RATE OF INCREASING, INTO YOUR DEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND THE DECREASING RATE OF CANCER, THERE ARE PREDICTIONS BY 2040 THEY'LL BE COMMONER THAN CANCER AS A CAUSE OF DEATH. >> IS IT A LITTLE TOO HOPEFUL TO THINK THERE COULD BE A CURE, THAT IT COULD HAPPEN? >> I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY A REALITY THAT IT COULD HAPPEN. THE REAL PROBLEM IS WHEN. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S IMMINENT, BUT I DO FEEL THAT WITHIN THE NEXT GENERATION, SCIENTISTS STUDYING THESE PROBLEMS, IT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN. >> Pamela: PARKINSON'S DISEASE MOST OFTEN OCCURS AFTER THE AGE OF 65, BUT FOR SOME REASON YESTERDAY TO BE DETERMINED, IT TENDS TO STRIKE MANY BRITISH COLUMBIANS EARLIER THAN THAT. THE AVERAGE AGE OF ONSET HERE IS 50. ONE THEORY IS THAT IT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ENVIRONMENT. >>> MICHAEL J. FOX MAY BE TODAY'S MOST HIGH PROFILE PARKINSON'S PATIENT BUT MANY OTHER EYES ARE ON THE MAN WHO REPORTEDLY SUFFERS FROM THE DISEASE BUT HAS NEVER PUBLICLY ADMITTED IT. POPE JOHN PAUL II. THE PONTIFF'S CURRENT TOUR OF MEXICO HAS FOCUSED NEW ATTENTION ON HIS FAILING HEALTH, ALTHOUGH THE VATICAN IS STILL RESISTING ANY CONCRETE COMMENTS. JOHN PAUL IS SAID TO HAVE DIFFICULTY STANDING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND HIS SPEECH IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. >>> A NEW STUDY PROVIDES MORE EVIDENCE THAT VITAMIN E COULD BE AN IMPORTANT WEAPON AGAINST STOOIRMS DISEASE. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT ROGUE BITS OF A NATURAL PROTEIN MAY PROMOTE ALZHEIMER'S BY DISRUPTING THE FLOW OF BLOOD IN THE BRAIN. BUT THAT VITAMIN E CAN BREAK DOWN THOSE PROTEINS. THE STUDY IS REPORTED IN THE JOURNAL NATURE-NEUROSCIENCE. >>> THAT'S OUR HEALTH TONIGHT, TONY. >> Tony: THANK YOU, PAMELA.