• In a recent study, researchers examined health records from North America to assess the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

• They found that incidences of Parkinson’s disease is 50% more common than previous estimates.

• The findings might have implications for healthcare providers for the diagnosis and treatment of PD.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological condition that affects movement.

It is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative condition globally and is responsible for significant disability and increased dementia and mortality risk.

Common PD symptoms include:

Tremors, Slow movement, Cognitive impairment, Sleep disorders, Pain

There is no clear consensus on what causes PD, but age is a known risk factor. Most people with PD develop the condition after 60 years of age®. While men are twice as likely to develop PD than women, women have a higher mortality rate and faster disease progression.

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Parkinson’s disease is 50% more common than previously reported, researchers say

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Understanding who might develop PD could help inform healthcare planning capacity and delivery.

In a recent study, researchers examined data from North America to estimate the rate of PD among those aged 45 and older. They found that Parkinsons disease is 50% more prevalent than previously thought.

Parkinson’s disease is on the rise:

For the study, researchers examined Parkinson’s incidence from 2012 healthcare data in North America. The data included cohorts of 6.7 million person-years of adults aged 45 and older and 9.3 million person-years of adults aged 65 and older.

The researchers found that 60,0000–95,000 people were diagnosed with PD in North America in 2012, significantly more than previous estimates of 40,000–60,000 Advanced age was strongly linked to an increased rate of PD, and males were consistently more likely to develop the condition than females.

The findings also revealed that PD was more common in southern California, southeastern Texas, central Pennsylvania, and Florida. Incidence was lower in the Mountain West region, the western Midwest, and the far Northwest.

To help inform health policy, the researchers suggest an incidence rate of 62 per 100,000 people per year for those aged 45 an older. They noted that this would equate to 77,000 diagnoses in 2012 and 86,000 cases in 2020.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT PD?

When asked how one may prevent Parkinson’s, Dr. Chakrabarty explained that none of the interventions used clinically to treat PD may protect from or reverse the neurodegeneration associated with the condition.

“Pharmacologics and deep brain stimulation bring about considerable symptomatic benefit to the patients, and somewhat extend their lifespan,” Dr. Chakrabarty added.

Dr. Gonzalez-Katapi added that certain factors, such as exercise, are associated with a lower risk of developing PD, even for those who may have a genetic risk for the disease.

“We have very clear data (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1474442216302307) that exercise is beneficial for PD, and some data exploring it as a disease-modifying intervention,” she said.

“Following a healthy lifestyle, [such as] a diet higher in antioxidants, seems to be helpful. There is some data to suggest that a lower dairy intake may also be protective, although this needs to be studied further.”