James Beck 0:00
A new Parkinson’s Foundation-supported study estimates that at least 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year.
I’m James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. Did you know that the number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. recently increased by 50%? Today, I’m going to share results from a groundbreaking study on Parkinson’s disease incidence and what these results mean for the PD community.
Over one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease. A new Parkinson’s Foundation-supported study estimates that at least 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. This is a steep 50% increase from the previous estimate of 60,000 people diagnosed per year.
In the study of disease, incidence is the number of people diagnosed with a disease per year. When a large population of people have a disease like Parkinson’s, it’s essential to have an accurate incidence number. It’s also important to know where people with the disease live and possible reasons that could have led to a diagnosis, like environmental factors. This information helps researchers, healthcare professionals, and even legislators determine how many resources should be allocated to addressing, treating and researching the disease. Knowing this information will allow us to better serve people with Parkinson’s and their families.
James Beck 0:01:29
This study is the most comprehensive assessment of Parkinson’s disease incidence in North America. Unlike previous research efforts, this study does not rely on information from just one dataset. Instead, it is based on five sets of data that measure Parkinson’s and its impact on the U.S. population. The results of the study also build on previous research findings, including the Parkinson’s prevalence project. This earlier study calculated the number of individuals affected by Parkinson’s at a given point in time and estimated that the number of people in the U.S. living with Parkinson’s would rise to 1.2 million by the year 2030.
There are several key findings to take away from this study. First, the study found that the single biggest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease is age. The likelihood of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease increases for people ages 65 and older. Additionally, the world’s aging population continues to grow. By the year 2034, the U.S. population is projected to have more people over the age of 65 than children under the age of 18. As older adults live longer, we can estimate that a large number of individuals will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Another key finding from the study is that men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to women at all ages.
Finally, the study uncovered that the incidence rates for Parkinson’s disease are higher in certain geographic regions. In the U.S., these areas include states located in the Rust Belt, as well as Southern California, Southeastern Texas, Central Pennsylvania and Florida.
James Beck 0:03:01
The new incidence number can help Parkinson’s disease scientists better recruit for upcoming research studies and guide which types of individuals to enroll in research. This study may also shed light on Parkinson’s hotspots, where more people live with Parkinson’s and therefore more resources might be needed. The Parkinson’s Foundation will utilize this data to help us provide tailored resources, outreach and advocacy to those who need access to resources and information so they can live better with Parkinson’s disease.
To learn more about the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in North America study, visit parkinson.org/statistics.