Reno, Janet (Parkinson’s disease)

The 78th attorney general of the United States, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in late 1995 at age 57, two years into her appointment. Reno was the first woman to serve as u.s. attorney general and held the office during the two presidential terms of Bill clinton, from 1993 to 2000. She spoke openly and candidly about her diagnosis and her symptoms, which included noticeable tremors of her left hand, and completed her term as attorney general. Reno ran for governor of her home state, Florida, in 2002 but did not make it past the primary. Her bid drew considerable attention to Parkinson’s disease and particularly to the potential development of dementia (deterioration of cognitive function), which Reno’s doctors said was not one of her symptoms.