Age and Parkinson’s make Pope vulnerable to infection

POPE John Paul’s age and the debilitating effect of Parkinson’s disease are the main factors influencing his health and make him more vulnerable to infections and breathing problems, medical experts said.

"It is (due) to a combination of his age, his general frailty and the quite severe Parkinson's that he has," said Duncan Forsyth, a geriatrician and Parkinson's expert at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England.

"Advancing age brings with it increased risk of infection and with any illness, older people take longer to recover and the risks are greater."