Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease

So who is Mr. Parkinson? James Parkinson was an English doctor who published the first essay about the symptoms of what we now call Parkinson’s Disease. He published this work in 1817 and ever since there has been extensive research and discovery about the disease. Since the days of James Parkinson, there have been an increasing number of cases of PD.

Right now approximately 1% of people over the age of 60 in industrialized countries is living with Parkinson’s disease (de Lau & Breteler, 2006). It is rare for the disease to emerge before the age of 50 and as a person ages, risk of the getting the disease goes up. In fact, for people aged 60-69, approximately 1 in 200 people has PD but for people aged 70-79, 1 in 100 people have PD. And over 80 years old, 1 in 35 people have PD (Tanner, Brandabur & Dorsey, 2008). Parkinson’s is slightly more common in men than women (Lai & Tsui, 2001). It is also more prevalent in developed countries but trends are starting to change. Check out this graph that shows us the prevalence of PD in 2005 by country and then a projected estimate for the prevalence in 2030 (Tanner, Brandabur & Dorsey, 2008).

Distribution of Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease by Country, 2005 and 2030*

Because Parkinson’s affects the lives of so many, we have to ask what causes the disease? Unfortunately there is no simple answer to that question. There is not one particular cause for the disease and many of the influencing factors are poorly understood at this time. Research is going on as I type and that’s pretty exciting! Right now, here is a list of what the experts are investigating:

·      Parkinson’s is likely caused by a complicated interaction of genes and environment that is currently under research (de Lau & Breteler, 2006).

·      Exposure to environmental toxins (pesticides) is a potential cause that is currently undergoing a lot of research with some success in liking these chemicals to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s (de Lau & Breteler, 2006).

·      Inheritability is being studied. 10-15% of PD cases are familial, meaning the disease runs in their family and may demonstrate a genetic component (Lai & Tsui, 2001).

·      Diet is under investigation as well as drinking habits (both alcohol and caffeine) (Lai & Tsui, 2001).

A diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease is not a death sentence. People live with the disease for many years with proper symptom management. PD itself is not fatal but life-expectancy may be reduced. This is likely because many patients (25-40%) with PD will develop dementia. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death for someone with PD. This is because a person might have difficulty swallowing and food or liquid may accidentally settle in their lungs instead of their stomach. This can cause an infection in the lungs and a person will develop Pneumonia (Lai & Tsui, 2001).

Research is continuously going on. My hope is that we will learn more about the causes of the disease in the near future so that we can develop more effective care and screening tools to treat and prevent PD.

References:

deLau, L.M.L, Breteler, M.M.B. (2006). Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease. The

Lancet Neurology 5 (6). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/science/article/pii/S1474442206704719

Lai, B.C.L., & Tsui, J.K.C. (2001). Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease. BC

Medical Journal, 43 (3). Retrieved from  http://www.bcmj.org/article/epidemiology-parkinson%E2%80%99s-disease

Tanner, C.M., Brandabur, M., Dorsey, E.R. (2008). Parkinson Disease: A Global View.

Research Reports. Retrieved from http://www.parkinson.org/NationalParkinsonFoundation/files/84/84233ed6-196b-4f80-85dd-77a5720c0f5a.pdf