Incidence of Parkinson's disease and modifiable risk factors in Korean population: A longitudinal follow-up study of a nationwide cohort

IntroductionWe aimed to investigate the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) by age and year for each sex as well as the modifiable risk factors for PD. Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, 938,635 PD and dementia-free participants aged >= 40 years who underwent general health examinations were followed to December 2019. MethodsWe analyzed the PD incidence rates according to age, year and sex. To investigate the modifiable risk factors for PD, we used the Cox regression model. Additionally, we calculated the population-attributable fraction to measure the impact of the risk factors on PD. ResultsDuring follow-up, 9,924 of the 938,635 (1.1%) participants developed PD. The incidence of PD increased continuously from 2007 to 2018, reaching 1.34 per 1,000 person-years in 2018. The incidence of PD also increases with age, up to 80 y. Presence of hypertension (SHR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.14), diabetes (SHR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.31), dyslipidemia (SHR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.18), ischemic stroke (SHR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.36), hemorrhagic stroke (SHR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.47), ischemic heart disease (SHR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.17), depression (SHR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.53 to 1.69), osteoporosis (SHR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.30), and obesity (SHR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10) were independently associated with a higher risk for PD. DiscussionOur results highlight the effect of modifiable risk factors for PD in the Korean population, which will help establish health care policies to prevent the development of PD.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD), including age, sex, and modifiable risk factors. Analysis of data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service revealed that hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, stroke, heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, and obesity were independently associated with a higher risk for PD. These findings are important for informing healthcare policies to prevent the development of PD.