A growing wave of global concern has emerged as leading neurologists warn that Parkinson’s disease is accelerating at a pace never before recorded in modern medical history.
The progressive disorder, once known as the “Shaking Palsy,” was first documented more than 200 years ago by British physician Dr. James Parkinson, who studied six patients in London and described the unusual infirmity affecting their motor control, movement and balance.
Medical historians regard his work as the foundation of modern neurological science, yet today’s expanding research shows that Parkinson’s disease is far more complex than early physicians understood.
Recent global health data indicates that by 2021, nearly 12 million people were living with the condition, and projections show that the number could exceed 25 million by 2050 if current trends continue.
Public health researchers say the rapid rise reflects longer life expectancy, increased environmental exposure and improved diagnostic awareness, although major gaps remain in understanding why the disease develops and why it progresses so aggressively.
Neurologist Dr. Michael Okun, one of the world’s foremost Parkinson’s experts, recently highlighted the urgency of the situation while speaking with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
He warned that Parkinson’s disease is now growing faster than Alzheimer’s disease, a trend he said should command immediate global attention due to the immense emotional, financial and social burden placed on families and communities.
Parkinson’s disease is largely driven by the deterioration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, affecting motivation, balance, focus, decision-making and emotional regulation.
Dopamine, a vital neurotransmitter, supports the brain’s reward system, and its steady depletion triggers the tremors, stiffness, slowness and coordination issues commonly associated with the disorder.
Experts now emphasize that this narrow view is outdated because the disease affects more than just the brain’s dopamine pathways.
Okun noted that Parkinson’s pathology has been observed in the gut, the skin and several other organ systems, raising deeper questions about how the disease begins, how it spreads and why it affects the body so extensively.
Despite decades of scientific progress, researchers still lack a foolproof diagnostic test, leaving many patients dependent on clinical evaluations and symptom tracking before receiving a confirmed diagnosis.
Uncovering the root causes has become one of the most urgent challenges in neuroscience, with scientists exploring genetic risks, environmental toxins, air pollution, agricultural chemicals and possible viral triggers.
Yet no single explanation fully captures the complex nature of the disease.
The rapid increase in cases has renewed calls for widespread public education to help individuals reduce their risk.
Experts recommend early lifestyle measures such as consistent exercise, antioxidant-rich diets, reduced exposure to toxins and improved sleep habits, all of which may help strengthen neurological health.
Health organizations stress that greater awareness, expanded research funding and improved early-detection tools are essential to slowing what many experts now describe as a looming global health emergency.
As global researchers intensify efforts through new studies, drug trials and diagnostic innovations, the world faces mounting pressure to prepare for a future in which Parkinson’s disease becomes one of the most critical neurological challenges of the century.