Parkinson’s disease is not contagious, but its rapidly rising worldwide burden has led experts to use the term Parkinson pandemic to emphasize the urgent need for coordinated global action. Shalash and colleagues describe in a new paper in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease how the burden of Parkinson’s disease is accelerating worldwide and what can be done to change its trajectory. Key points: - Parkinson’s disease is now the fastest growing neurological disorder worldwide, driven by population aging, longer life expectancy, environmental exposures, and improved recognition of the disease. - The burden of Parkinson’s disease differs dramatically across regions because of differences in genetics, pesticides, air pollution, industrial chemicals, health care access, and socioeconomic factors. - The authors propose a global roadmap that includes reducing environmental toxicants, improving access to levodopa and expert care, expanding research, supporting caregivers, and strengthening public awareness. My take: This review reinforces what many of us have been saying for years. Parkinson's disease is not simply an inevitable consequence of aging. The growing global burden reflects a complex interaction of aging, environmental exposures, genetics, and disparities in health care. The encouraging news is that many of these factors are potentially modifiable. We should not simply count cases of Parkinson's disease. We should work together to prevent them. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Aging explains much of the increase in Parkinson's disease, however it does not explain it all. Environmental exposures remain an important piece of the puzzle. 2- Universal access to levodopa and multidisciplinary Parkinson's care should be viewed as a global public health priority, not a luxury. 3- Preventing exposure to neurotoxic pesticides, industrial solvents, and air pollution may reduce future Parkinson's disease burden if coupled w/ stronger public health policies. 4- Supporting caregivers, educating health care providers, and improving early diagnosis are just as important as discovering new treatments. 5- The future will depend on global collaboration that brings together researchers, governments, advocacy organizations, industry, and folks living w/ Parkinson's disease to slow this pandemic before it grows even larger. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.…