(NEXSTAR) — Legendary quarterback Brett Favre says he was “recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease” while speaking at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
Favre, 54, is testifying at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee examining welfare reform, according to The Hill. The former quarterback has been accused of using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families state funds for corporate gains.
Favre previously told The Bubba Army radio show that during his football career — which spanned 20 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, the Green Bay Packers, the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings — he believes he suffered “thousands” of concussions, Yahoo Sports reports.
Speaking to the House committee on Tuesday, Favre said he “lost an investment in a company” he believed was developing a “breakthrough concussion drug.”
“I thought [it] would help others and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me, because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” he said Tuesday. “This is also a cause dear to my heart.”
Parkinson’s is described as a movement disorder of the nervous system that can worsen over time, the Mayo Clinic explains. There is no cure for the disease.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the only known causes of Parkinson’s disease are genetic. There have been at least seven genes linked to Parkinson’s disease, but only about 10% of all diagnosed cases are connected to a familial cause.
Cases that are not linked to genetics are considered idiopathic, which means it’s unclear why it’s happening. It is believed, however, that idiopathic Parkinson’s disease is linked to a body’s problems with using a certain protein.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s can include tremors, often in the hands or fingers; slowed movement; rigid muscles; poor posture and balance; changes to a person’s speech and writing abilities; loss of automatic movements like blinking or smiling; and nonmotor symptoms, like anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.
While there is no cure for Parkinson’s, some medicines, surgeries, and other therapies have been found to relieve symptoms, according to the National Institute of Aging.
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