Ethnicity-, Age-, and Geography-Related Disparities in Parkinson Disease Burden Reported

Non-Hispanic White men were found to have the highest burden of Parkinson disease (PD) in 2022, including incidence, prevalence and deaths, according to study results presented at the 2024 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. The study provided additional insights into disparities related to ethnicity, age, sex and region for individuals with PD, suggesting that underrepresented populations may experience barriers to adequate care.

The findings result from a secondary analysis based on data from the Global Burden of Disease study, which assessed PD burden in the United States from January to December 2022. The PD burden per 100,000 (95% uncertainty interval) was found to be 22.4 (13.7 to 35.0), with a prevalence of 180.1 (119.9 to 281.7) among the total age-standardized population.

Researchers identified disparities in PD burden (incidence; prevalence; deaths) associated with sex, age, and race or ethnicity:

• Men had a higher PD burden than women (male-to-female incidence, 2.0; 1.8; 2.5)
• Non-Hispanic White individuals had the highest PD burden (24.88 [15.1 to 38.8]; 199.1 [132.2 to 312.1]; 11.1 [8.5 to 14.5])
• Following Non-Hispanic White individuals, PD burden was highest for: Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, and then Black individuals.
• Individuals aged 75 to 84 years had the highest PD incidence (187.4 [120.2 to 266.1]).
• Individuals aged ≥85 years had the highest PD prevalence (1739.1 [1055.4 to 3297.7]) and deaths (236.2 [162.3-343.8]).

Regional influences on PD burden were also assessed:

• Overall, PD burden was highest in Utah, Minnesota, and Vermont.
• Hispanic individuals had a relatively high PD burden in Hawaii, Florida, New Mexico, Alabama, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming.
• American Indian or Alaskan Native individuals had the highest incidence and prevalence in Alaska but the highest deaths in Maine.
• American Indian or Alaskan Native individuals had a relatively high PD burden in Rhode Island and Colorado.
• Asian or Pacific Islander individuals had the highest PD burden in Washington DC, Hawaii, Arizona, and Virginia.
• Black individuals had the highest PD burden in Washington DC, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona.