How common is Parkinson’s disease? A new meta-analysis provides insight into the prevalence of the disease, looking at prevalence in age, sex and location. Interested to learn more? Read our summary here.

The prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease increases steadily with age, according to research published in the journal Movement Disorders.
Analysing worldwide data from 47 studies published from 1985 to 2010, a European research team studied data by age group, geographic location, and sex.
Because it included data from a large number of studies, this meta-analysis provided a valuable insight into how common Parkinson’s Disease really is.
Specifically, the research team identified the following findings:
A ‘rising prevalence’ of PD with age
The researchers found that Parkinson’s Disease affected:
- 40 to 49 years – 41 people in 100,000
- 50 to 59 years – 107 people in 100,000
- 55 to 64 years – 173 people in 100,000
- 60 to 69 years – 428 people in 100,000
- 65 to 74 years – 425 people in 100,000
- 70 to 79 years – 1087 people in 100,000
- Older than age 80 – 1903 people in 100,000
A ‘significant difference’ in prevalence by geographic location
For people aged 70 to 79, the researchers found that 1,601 people from North America, Europe, and Australia had Parkinson’s Disease – compared with 646 in individuals from Asia (P< 0.05).
Parkinson’s disease prevalence varies by gender, but only for people aged 50 to 59
A significant difference in prevalence by sex was found only for individuals 50 to 59 years old, with a prevalence of 41 in females and 134 in males (P< 0.05). ie PD is more common in men in the 50-59 year old age group.
“These findings argue for further epidemiologic surveys, specifically with high-quality screening instruments for Parkinson’s Disease and confirmation of diagnoses with sensitive, internationally accepted diagnostic criteria to ensure greater
Comparability,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers argue that longer-term prospective studies would help establish whether the clinical progression and prognosis of the disease differs between racial groups and among different parts of the world.
The team also hope that demonstrating reliable differences in prevalence can provide opportunities for more refined studies that might provide information as to how a patient’s genes or environmental factors influence disease susceptibility, progression and treatment response.
Further, the research team noted the importance of Prevalence studies in assisting Governments and Health services to plan appropriate treatment resources for PD in the context of an aging population.
Summary of the article here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24976103