Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre revealed Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. That puts him among the 1 million people nationwide living with the disease, according to the head of the Parkinson's Foundation.
John L. Lehr, executive director of the Parkinson's Foundation, said in a statement after Favre's testimony that 90,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) this year alone. Parkinson's is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement.
“Scientists believe Parkinson's disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors,” Lehr said. “Environmental factors can include head injuries, exposure to pesticides or area of residence.”
Actor Michael J. Fox is one of the most recognized advocates for Parkinson's awareness and research. In sports, boxer and activist Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, made his diagnosis public in 1984, three years after retiring from boxing. Other sports figures who have the disease include former NBA player Brian Grant; American cyclist Davis Phinney; former MLB outfielder and manager Kirk Gibson; and former NHL coach and hockey analyst Barry Melrose, who retired from ESPN in October 2023 after being diagnosed. Former New York Giants and New York Jets player and broadcaster Dave Jennings died in 2013; and former NBA coach Jerry Sloan died in 2020.
Parkinson's is a disorder of the nervous system for which there is currently no known cure. Symptoms typically begin with mild tremors, stiff or jerky muscles or decreased ability to move quickly or automatically. Patients in the early stages of the disease may also experience depression, anxiety, fatigue and memory problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The disease gradually damages nerve cells in patients' brains, particularly in an area called the substantia nigra, which produces dopamine, a chemical that, in addition to having a major impact on mood, acts as a messenger between the nervous system and the brain.
Scientists have not yet determined the exact cause of this cellular degeneration. Studies have uncovered several potential factors, including rare genetic predispositions and exposure to some chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides. The condition affects more men than women.
In addition to helping the brain control the body through the nervous system, dopamine also plays a role in memory, sleep, and concentration. It is best known for regulating mood and providing the brain with feelings of motivation, satisfaction, and overall pleasure. In addition to physical symptoms, Parkinson's patients may experience sleep disorders and cognitive impairment.
Since the cause of Parkinson's has not yet been discovered, medical experts do not have a surefire way to prevent the disease. However, some studies have linked regular aerobic exercise and caffeine consumption as activities associated with a lower risk. Symptoms typically do not appear until about 80% of the affected nerve cells have deteriorated, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
According to Johns Hopkins, the average age of patients at diagnosis is 60, and diagnoses in people under 50 are rare. At 54, Favre is relatively young, but that doesn't mean he's any less young.
However, suffering multiple concussions (which Favre has reported suffering on the field) has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s. A 2020 study published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health found that a single low-impact concussion increased a patient’s risk of developing Parkinson’s by 57%, and that multiple concussions can exacerbate the danger.
Dr. Michael Okun, a neurologist at University of Florida Health, said multiple concussions and those sustained in short succession can double the risk of developing Parkinson's later in life, along with other problems caused by ongoing brain injuries. Okun treated Muhammad Ali and noted that the late boxer's career put him at serious risk.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is also associated with Parkinson's. Although the two conditions function differently (unlike the enzymes that target dopamine in Parkinson's, CTE is characterized by the presence of tau proteins), there are similarities in cause and effect.
“They're slightly different, but there's clearly an overlap in some of the symptoms and in terms of the risk factor for having repeated concussions or other head trauma,” physician and medical journalist Dr. Céline Gounder told ESPN.
But doctors are even more concerned about chemical risks. Some toxins have been linked to Parkinson’s risk far beyond what has been seen in patients with a history of multiple concussions, Okun said, including those used in dry cleaning and gardening. If environmental factors contributed to a football player’s diagnosis, pesticides sprayed on football fields could be as or more relevant to the disease than the roughness of the game.
When Favre testified before Congress on Tuesday, he said drug treatment for concussion was “too late” to help him. While there is no known cure for Parkinson’s, recent medical advances have successfully staved off the worst symptoms in some patients for months or years. Common tactics employed by neurologists include various drugs meant to block enzymes that break down the dopamine the brain produces, as well as medications to help control involuntary tremors and jerks.
Doctors may also prescribe carbidopa-levodopa, which is a combination of chemicals that enter the brain and are converted into dopamine. However, the effectiveness can deteriorate over time, causing patients to seek other options. One such treatment is dopamine agonists, which instead of being converted into dopamine in the brain, serve to mimic its effects.
“When you hear those four words, 'you have Parkinson's disease,' that shouldn't be the end of the conversation,” Okun told ESPN. “There are so many great treatments for this, and we have people living with Parkinson's disease for 10, 20, 30 years, living well.”
Favre had taken the stand before the House Ways and Means Committee to testify about welfare reform. Prevacus, a company working on a drug to mitigate the effects of repeated head injuries, had received nearly $2 million in welfare money. Prevacus founder Jacob VanLandingham pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud after Mississippi state audits revealed that some of the welfare money he had earmarked for the drug had actually gone to cover gambling debts. Documents show Favre invested more than $800,000 in the company and lobbied government officials for more funding. He was Prevacus’s largest investor.
