Celebrities You Never Knew Had Parkinson’s Disease – Health Digest

Actor, author, screenwriter, and podcast host Alan Alda revealed he has Parkinson’s disease in 2018 when he appeared on CBS This Morning, although the “M*A*S*H” star had been diagnosed with the condition three and a half years prior. “I’ve had a full life since then. I’ve acted, I’ve given talks, I help at the Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook. I started this new podcast [Clear+Vivid],” said the “Four Seasons” actor. 

In a 2020 interview with People, Alda shared that he is doing everything he can to slow the progression of the disease, but simple things like tying shoelaces with stiff fingers can be challenging. “The silver lining is that I keep getting more confident that I can always find a workaround,” added the “Marriage Story” actor. He also shared that the illness has made him realize that life is about adapting, adjusting, and revising. 

Parkinson’s affects about 1% of people over 60 worldwide and is the most common movement-related brain disease, per the Cleveland Clinic. Even though there’s no cure, treatment to manage symptoms, like medication and sometimes surgery, can help a person diagnosed with the condition live life the best they can. Alda said that a typical day in his life includes exercising, prepping for his podcast, “chasing the geese off my grass, playing chess with Arlene [his wife with whom he has three childre] and bingeing on Scandinavian TV series. Pretty much what everyone does.”