Health
Amid Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, neurologist discusses how concussions impact risk
Football legend Brett Favre, 54, announced on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The NFL Hall of Famer referenced the diagnosis while speaking at a congressional hearing on federal welfare reform, during which he mentioned his investment in a company making a “breakthrough concussion drug.”
Favre, who spent 16 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, has openly discussed experiencing “thousands” of concussions over the course of his football career.
NFL LEGEND BRETT FAVRE ANNOUNCES HE HAS PARKINSON’S DISEASE
What is Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, leading to tremors, stiffness, slow gait, balance issues and other symptoms.
Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee at the Longworth House Office Building on Sept. 24, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Non-motor symptoms can include depression, anxiety, hallucinations, apathy, sleep disorders, loss of smell, digestive issues and orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up), according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Nearly one million people are living with the disease in the U.S., and a projected 1.2 million will have received diagnoses by 2030.
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There is no one known cause of Parkinson’s disease, but there are factors that could increase risk. For most cases of the disease, the cause is unknown.
A person who is diagnosed without cause has what is called idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, according to Healthline.
Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the sideline during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on Nov. 19, 1995, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Getty Images)
The risk increases with age, but about 4% of patients are diagnosed before turning 50.
Men are at a higher risk, and are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than women, per the Foundation.
While there is no cure for PD, patients can sometimes manage their symptoms with medications, surgery and lifestyle changes.
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The main medication used to relieve Parkinson’s symptoms is levodopa, which helps to replenish dopamine in the brain, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Some people are also prescribed dopamine agonists, enzyme inhibitors, amantadine and anticholinergic drugs, the source stated.
Symptoms or progression of the disease can be worse for athletes who have experienced concussions or other head injuries, a neurologist confirmed. (iStock)
A healthy diet, exercise, massage therapy and physical, occupational and speech therapies can also help with symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease.
While Parkinson’s is not directly fatal, complications of the disease are rated as the 14th cause of death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The concussion connection
Dr. Joey Gee, a neurologist with Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, said it is well-established that many neurological disorders — predominantly neurodegenerative disorders — can worsen or develop as a result of numerous head traumas and injuries over time.
“This can include everything from Alzheimer’s disease to Lou Gehrig’s disease, but a lot of emphasis has been on the development of Parkinson’s disease,” Gee told Fox News Digital.
“We know that persistent trauma to the brain can cause inflammatory changes and vascular disturbances.”
“We know that persistent trauma to the brain can cause inflammatory changes and vascular disturbances.”
In relation to Parkinson’s disease, it can cause a disruption of an inflammatory protein called alpha-synuclein, he said.
In people with Parkinson’s, that protein forms into clumps in the spinal fluid called Lewy bodies, which is a marker of the disease.
Many neurological disorders can worsen or develop as a result of numerous head traumas and injuries over time, a neurologist said. (Getty Images)
“And then you may see early signs or symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease,” the neurologist noted.
Symptoms or progression of the disease can be worse for athletes who have experienced concussions or other head injuries, Gee confirmed.
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“A number of scientific reports show that patients who have acquired Parkinson’s-related features from trauma may present earlier and may have more significant symptoms than those with Parkinson’s disease who did not have a head injury,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“So there is a significant potential for earlier development in symptoms and inflammation of the brain.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Favre’s representatives for comment.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and Ashlyn Messier contributed reporting.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
ONE WALKING HABIT COULD SIGNAL A HEALTHIER BRAIN AFTER 80, SCIENTISTS SAY
The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
COMMON VITAMIN MAY INFLUENCE BRAIN AGING IN WAYS SCIENTISTS DIDN’T EXPECT
The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take
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