YOPD Resources

It’s not common to see Parkinson’s disease in people younger than 50, but for a small subset of sufferers, the disease strikes early. While people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s at an average age of 60, anything younger than 50 is considered young-onset Parkinson’s, or YOPD. Rarely, Parkinson’s disease may be diagnosed in people younger than 40 — current estimates are that about 2 percent of the 1 million people with Parkinson’s were diagnosed earlier than age 40. - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/parkinsons-disease/youngonset-parkinsons-disease

In this YouTube episode of Dr. Gilbert Hosts, Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, APDA’s VP and Scientific Officer, spoke with four inspiring individuals who are navigating these YOPD issues. Allison, Bryan, and Steven are all living with YOPD, and Bryan’s wife Julia brings the spouse/care partner perspective. 

The Sept. 11, 2023 issue of Parkison’s ProActivities had a story on what makes diagnosing YOPD so difficult  as well as how YOPD is often related to genes. A list of resources was included.  

Parkinson’s Foundation’s video, Living Well with Young-Onset PD, has panelists that discuss the circumstances specific to a YOPD diagnosis, the stigma they experienced and coping strategies. 

Check out PF’s full YOPD video playlist.