Jesse Jackson Says He Has Parkinson's Disease

The Rev. Jesse Jackson announced Friday that he has Parkinson's disease, saying that he first noticed symptoms "about three years ago."

Jackson, 76, released the news in what he called an update "on my health and the future."

"But as my daily physical struggles intensified, I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced," Jackson wrote in a statement released Friday.

"After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson's disease, a disease that bested my father," he said. "Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it."

Jackson added, "For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign," saying that he will do what he can to slow the disease, through physical therapy and changes to his lifestyle.

Parkinson's is most well-known for causing tremors and other muscle-control problems. It also causes rigidity and stiffness in parts of the body, and as it progresses, the disease leaves its victims with impaired coordination and balance, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease has been linked to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in parts of the brain that control movement. There is no cure.

Here is the full text of Jackson's announcement, which he addressed to friends and supporters: - More, NPR

Jesse Jackson Says He Has Parkinson's Disease