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Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s Death Puts Spotlight on a Form of Parkinson\u2019s<\/p>\n
Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. He had been previously diagnosed with a form of Parkinson\u2019s disease linked to the gene PRKN<\/p>\n
By Lauren J. Young edited by Andrea Thompson<\/span><\/p>\n Ozzy Osbourne at the press conference for Ozzy Osbourne Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt Unveiling to benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation at The Hard Rock Cafe in New York City on July 28, 2006.<\/p>\n George Taylor\/Everett Collection\/Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n On July 22 Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, died at age 76. The \u201cPrince of Darkness\u201d had been outspoken about keeping up with stage performances and touring while undergoing care for a form of Parkinson\u2019s disease linked to the gene PRKN, which makes a protein called parkin. He played his last live performance with his bandmates in Birmingham, England, on July 5.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been terribly challenging for us all,\u201d Osbourne said in a 2020 Good Morning America interview in which he discussed his diagnosis.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many different types of Parkinson\u2019s,\u201d said Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s wife, during the interview. \u201cIt\u2019s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s cause of death was not disclosed. The late heavy metal musician had often openly shared his intense lifestyle and experience with drug use, which may have worsened the progression of his form of Parkinson\u2019s, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n Parkinson\u2019s disease is a neurodegenerative condition in which nerve cells, largely in the basal ganglia of the brain, deteriorate or die. According to the National Institute on Aging, the illness typically progresses with age (most people develop the disease after age 60), and it is known for causing tremors, stiff muscles, balance issues, slowed movement and other mobility problems. People may also experience difficulty swallowing, chewing and speaking, as well as mental health issues, including depression and mood changes. Emerging research suggests that acting out dreams might also predict Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n PRKN is one of the genes implicated in Parkinson\u2019s disease. It is involved in maintaining mitochondrial function, which could affect cellular energy\u2014but how that exactly leads to disease is unclear, according to MedlinePlus. Parkinson\u2019s disease has been linked to more than 200 mutations in this gene, some of which may cause issues with protein production, durability and function.<\/p>\n In the 2020 Good Morning America interview, the Osbourne family disclosed Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s condition. He had volunteered to have his genome sequenced in 2010 to see if his DNA could offer more clues about his health.<\/p>\n [Read more: Ozzy Osbourne’s Genome Reveals Some Neandertal Lineage]<\/p>\n Data on Parkinson\u2019s disease and mortality are inconsistent. Some studies suggest that those with the condition, particularly an advanced or severe form, have a death rate that is about a 1.5 times higher than that of the general population, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association. Parkinson\u2019s disease, in combination with another disease or injury, such as a fall, an ulcer or pneumonia, could also increase the likelihood of death.<\/p>\n While incurable, Parkinson\u2019s is considered a livable disease. Drugs that act on certain brain neurotransmitters, including dopamine\u2014a hormone involved in movement\u2014can help alleviate symptoms. Research on deep-brain stimulation, which was approved for Parkinson\u2019s tremor by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997, has shown the technology to be an effective treatment.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note (7\/22\/25): This article was edited after posting to better clarify the descriptions of Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s Death Puts Spotlight on a Form of Parkinson\u2019s Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. He had been previously diagnosed with a form of Parkinson\u2019s disease linked to the gene PRKN By Lauren J. Young edited by Andrea Thompson Ozzy Osbourne at the press conference for Ozzy Osbourne<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[2527,2803,5248,5247,4335,5297],"class_list":{"0":"post-11804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-dies","9":"tag-form","10":"tag-osbourne","11":"tag-ozzy","12":"tag-parkinsons","13":"tag-suffered"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
What Do We Know about the Condition? <\/h2>\n
Does Parkinson\u2019s Disease Cause Death? <\/h2>\n