Parkinson’s disease affects both men and women. Currently, about 50% more men are affected than women.

Why is this? There are theories that estrogen may cause women to develop the disease less frequently, and when they do, they seem to get a milder case. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates about 50,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease each year in the U.S. However, this number may be higher due to the fact that many people in the early stages of PD

assume their symptoms are due to aging and do not seek medical attention. Complicating the diagnosis is that symptoms of Parkinson's resemble other diseases and there is no one definitive test to diagnose it.