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HELLO PHILIPPINES
HEALTH & FITNESS
www.hello-philippines.com
Minding Parkinson’s disease
‘Iam doing good,” Manny Pacquiao answered when asked whether he is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. “God is good.” He added: “I am the one who knows and feels what my body is telling me.” The question was asked because physician Rustico Jimenez, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, told a television channel that the 34-year-old boxing champion was supposedly already exhibiting early signs of Parkinson’s disease. “’Yung movement, although mabilis ang reflexes, napapansin ko lang—another view or personal view lang naman ang sa akin— parang may early signs,” Jimenez said as quoted on abscbnnews. com. “May mga movements napapansin mo sa kamay. Sa kamay usually, sa ulo hindi natin makikita agad, nagtu-twitch ng konti. Although I haven’t seen very close, parang nakikita ko lang mayroong ganoon.” In a separate interview that was aired on Unang Hirit, Pacquiao reiterated the same, even as he went on to dismiss the notion outright. “Comment lang ’yun,”
the multimillionaire pugilist, actor, TV host, philanthropist and congressman said. “Lahat naman may karapatan mag-comment.” More often than not, boxers are susceptible to Parkinson’s disease. Both legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and Pacquaio’s own trainer and coach Freddie Roach (also a former boxer) have been battling the disease. Parkinson’s disease, also called “shaking palsy,” is a slowly progressing, degenerative disorder of the nervous system. It usually attacks people between the ages 50 and 69. However, it may occur in younger persons, especially following brain inflammation (encephalitis) or poisoning by carbon monoxide, metals, or some drugs. “I was pinning my hopes on the fact that the disease usually begins after age 50,” Canadian actor Michael J. Fox wrote in his autobiography, Lucky Man. “My symptoms showed up in my late 20s. How could I possibly have this old person’s disease?” There are a few reliable data of global prevalence of Parkinson’s disease. But according to the Geneva-based World Health
Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 4 million people suffering from the disease around the world. Parkinson’s disease has existed since Biblical times, but it was only in the 19th century that it was clinically recognized. Because the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease increases with age, the shorter life expectancy in previous centuries probably meant that it was not as noticeable as it is today. The condition was first established as a clinical entry in 1817 by a British doctor, James Parkinson, in his Essay on the Shaking Palsy. Later, in the 1860s, the French neurologist Pierre Marie Charcott called the condition “Parkinson’s disease,” in honor of the essay author. Almost 200 years after it was first published, Parkinson’s essay continues to be recognized throughout the world as the classic description of the disease. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors that occur while at rest, “pill rolling” movements of the fingers, and a mask-like face. Other symptoms are a shuffling gait, a slightly
RUFO’S Famous Tapa continues to expand by opening in popular malls in the metropolis with a new branch in SM Makati Food Court and another opening this March in SM North Edsa Food Court. Its president, Paul Izon Reyes, added that they are considering more mall locations this year. “Rufo’s SM Makati is our first branch located in a mall, and we are thrilled by the market’s positive response. We would like to make our food, particularly our signature beef tapa [fried beef strips] with its mouthwatering secret sauce, available to more people in more locations. This is aligned with our mission of giving value to our customers by making Rufo’s delicious and affordable food available to them wherever they are,” explains Reyes. “We recognize that our stand-
alone stores, while open 24/7 and spread across the Metro, may not be able to serve all our customers, especially those who are already inside the malls. Therefore, we decided to bring our stores to them, starting with the first Rufo’s in SM Makati.” Rufo’s aggressive expansion will also continue in stand-alone, 24/7 locations. “Since we launched our franchise program, we have been overwhelmed by inquiries from interested parties wanting to be part of the Rufo’s family. In fact, aside from existing branches in Las Pinas, Macapagal Avenue, Vito Cruz, Makati, Shaw, Eastwood and Ortigas, expect to see Rufo’s in McKinley Hill, Malate, Retiro, Aurora Boulevard, Greenhills and Timog in 2013,” Reyes states. With the company’s continuous growth, Rufo’s is moving closer
to realizing its goal of being acknowledged as the No. 1 tapa restaurant in the Philippines. Rufo’s has been a favorite go-to place for delicious and affordable Pinoy dishes since its inception in 1984. When Reyes acquired the business in 2003, the company began to expand through Rufo’s Famous Franchise Corp. (Rufocorp). Under Reyes’s leadership, Rufo’s gained significant patronage, brand awareness and recognition. In fact, it was named as one of the more Promising Franchise Concepts in the 10th anniversary issue of Entrepreneur Magazine in 2010. From 16 employees in 2003, the company now employs 186 people. It currently has 12 branches and Reyes hopes to double that number this year. ■
Rufo’s famous tapa’s expansion hits popular malls
Business Mirror / 28 February 2013
March 2013 – No. 5 • UK & Europe Edition bent-over posture, rigid muscles and weakness. “People suffering from the disease may drool, have a heavy appetite, be unable to stand heat, have oily skin, be emotionally unstable, and have judgment problems,” the UN health agency. “The symptoms are made worse by tiredness, excitement and frustration. It rarely damages the ability to think and reason.” Loss of communication skills is particularly common. “Speech often becomes soft, mumbling and monotonous in tone,” the WHO notes. “There is often reduced facial expression, resulting in a typical ‘mask-like face’ and limited body language. Many people also have problems with their handwriting, which becomes small and cramped, making it very difficult to read.” These communication problems can seriously affect the social and emotional life of both the person with Parkinson’s disease and his or her family. Research has shown that the loss of non-verbal skills has a negative impact on people’s perception of an individual’s abilities. Because of reduced body language, people with Parkinson’s disease are often erroneously labeled unintelligent, uncooperative and difficult. Recent studies have discovered that the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear when about 80 percent of dopamine is lost. Deep within the brain is an area known as the basal ganglia, of which the main neurotransmitter is dopamine. Although some people with Parkinson’s disease in the later stages may become mentally confused or demented, most retain their intellectual facilities while living in a body, which is becoming increasingly disabled. “This, in itself, can contribute to the boredom, social isolation and depression commonly experienced by sufferers,” the WHO says. Like many other brain disorders, Parkinson’s disease is—at the moment—incurable. However, many treatments have been used since James Parkinson published his essay in 1817. Some years ago, it was a common practice for surgeons to insert a small needle into the brain to freeze or incise nerve cells in the part of the brain, which governs the symptoms of the disease. More recently, drug therapies have been developed to restore the deficiency of dopamine. “Parkinson’s disease may be treated with a wide variety of drugs, including levodopa, bromocriptine, pergolide, selegiline, anticholinergics (benztropine or trihexyphenidyl), antihistamines, antidepressants, propranolol and amantadine,”
says The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “None of these drugs cures the disease or stops its progression, but they make movement easier and they can prolong functional life for many years.” Because of the complex nature of Parkinson’s disease, management requires a holistic approach that takes into account the affected person’s whole life. These include accurate diagnosis, individual approach, multidisciplinary support, and involving the patient and caregiver. Good management of the disease starts with an accurate diagnosis that can be made by a doctor with special knowledge on Parkinson’s disease, usually a neurosurgeon or a geriatrician. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is often a shattering experience both for those diagnosed and their families. It needs to be given in a sensitive way, allowing people to come to terms with the diagnosis and encouraging them to seek further information and advice. Michael J. Fox was shooting a movie called Doc Hollywood in 1991 when he noticed a twitch in his left little finger. “How long this had been going I wasn’t sure,” he wrote in his autobiography. “But now that I noticed it, I was surprised to discover I couldn’t stop it.” Feeling uneasy, he went to see a doctor who suggested a series of tests. The diagnosis was terse and devastating. “Even the most paranoid fantasy I could think of would not have prepared me for the two words the neurologist bludgeoned me with: Parkinson’s disease,” the actor recalled. Except to a tight circle of family and friends, Fox kept his condition a secret before finally going public in an exclusive interview with People magazine in November 1998. “It was incomprehensible,” People quoted him as saying of the diagnosis. “The doctor said I would be able to function for years and years. But even taking in those terms was strange.” ■ Business Mirror / 28 February 2013