- People newly diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease now have valuable information available at their
fingertips, with a new program called Planning Your Course.
Professional golfer Cherie Zaun, diagnosed with the condition in
2003, has collaborated with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. and the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) to develop Planning
Your Course, a patient education program specifically designed for
people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Today, more than a
million Americans have the disease, and approximately 60,000 new
cases are diagnosed each year.
Ms. Zaun, who helped develop and is featured in Planning Your
Course, hopes that hearing her story will help encourage and
motivate people newly diagnosed with the disease to maintain a
positive attitude and take control of their lives.

"When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, my family and I were
determined to educate ourselves as much as possible, but trying to
get information was overwhelming," said Cherie Zaun. "I teamed up
with Boehringer Ingelheim on Planning Your Course to provide other
people with Parkinson's with the facts they need in one
comprehensive and easy-to-understand format."

"We are proud to be part of this educational initiative," said Ruth
Hagestuen, RN, MA, National Parkinson Foundation Director of Field
Services. "One of our primary goals is to ensure that people with
Parkinson's disease have the information they need to understand
their condition. We applaud Cherie Zaun for speaking out about her
experience with Parkinson's disease and for encouraging patients to
stay positive and remain physically active to help live well with
this condition."

About Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease affects approximately one percent of people over
age 60, causing tremor, muscle rigidity, slowed motion, shuffling
gait and a loss of facial expression. Approximately 15 percent of
patients develop Parkinson's disease before the age of 50. All of
these effects vary from patient to patient, but worsen over time.
Parkinson's disease is the second most common chronic neurological
disorder in older adults after Alzheimer's.

National Parkinson Foundation

Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Miami, the National Parkinson
Foundation's dual mission is to find the cause of and cure for
Parkinson disease and to improve the quality of life for those
afflicted with the debilitating disease. NPF has invested over $100
million in the fulfillment of its mission and is dedicated to
providing care, education and support services for those whose lives
are affected by Parkinson. Currently, the centerpiece of NPF's
research, care and delivery system is its international network of
53 institutions worldwide that have achieved designation as NPF
Centers of Excellence, Care Centers and Outreach Centers and through
its 41 affiliated Chapters.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT,
is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation
(Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of
companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 143 affiliates in 47 countries and
approximately 37,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the
family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing,
manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value
for human and veterinary medicine.

Program for People Newly Diagnosed

12 Dec 2006 (EARTHtimes.com)