Can Essential Tremor become Parkinson's Disease?

In this video, Dr Tabish Saifee, a Consultant Neurologist from the Movement Disorders group of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, answers a common question - whether patients with Essential Tremor are at risk of going on to develop Parkinson's disease.
As explained by Dr Saifee, whilst patients with true Essential Tremor are not known to be at a higher risk, the situation is complex. Studies of larger patient populations has shown a small increase in the risk of patients with action tremors, like Essential tremor, going on to develop Parkinson's disease. However, it is not yet clear whether this may be attributed to patients being diagnosed originally with essential tremor, when their tremor may in fact be Parkinsonian.
Dr Tabish Saifee is a Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square and a member of the movement disorder group. If you would be interested in a consultation with Dr Saifee, please contact [e-mail].