Is there anyone in this community who is familiar with the prevalence of PD? I was diagnosed at 45 and wonder how many there are. The numbers reported vary very much. Any reliable numbers? Thank you and keep exercising!
Prevelance of PD: Is there anyone in this... - Cure Parkinson's
Prevelance of PD
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jens667
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The only figure quoted for the number of people with PD in the UK is 127,000 and this has remained the same for at least 6 years, since my wife was diagnosed. I am convinced this figure is hugely understated, by as much as 50%, but I have no proof. Also, I would not be surprised if there has been an measurable increase in the number of people with young onset Parkinson’s, but again there is no proof.
I believe that Parkinson’s U.K. is due to survey and review the figures this year. This is vitally important, because if there are now more than 250,000 PWPs, with a growing incidence of young onset PD, then the government has to raise the priority of finding solutions to stopping, reversing and curing this ghastly disease.
1 million in the US, 10 million worldwide.
Global Prevalence of Parkinson's Disease
Published by VIARTIS.net
19 February 2013
Worldwide, based on the available prevalence studies, there are likely to be more than 6 million people with Parkinson's Disease. However, due to so many people with Parkinson's Disease remaining undiagnosed, there may be millions more. In China alone there are more than 1.7 million people with Parkinson's Disease.
WORLD'S HIGHEST PREVALENCE
The community with the world's highest prevalence of Parkinson's Disease is along the River Nile in Egypt amongst the rural illiterate Egyptians. They have a prevalence rate of 1,103 per 100,000. This difference is probably related to poverty rather than literacy. In some of the villages south of Cairo there are only mud roads and open sewers. With a prevalence rate of 557 per 100,000, Egypt is the country with the world's second highest prevalence of Parkinson's Disease.
The world's second highest prevalence of Parkinson's Disease by far has been found among the Amish community. The Amish are a devoutly religious community, primarily in the North East of the U.S.A., who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible. The prevalence of Parkinson's Disease amongst the Amish community is 970 per 100,000, which is enormously high. They are afflicted by genetic disorders. So it was thought that the cause might be genetic. However, the more closely related they were, the less they were affected. They are primarily involved in agriculture, and most of them use pesticides, but the effect of pesticides was not assessed by the researchers.
The world's highest prevalence of Parkinson's Disease of any country is Albania. The prevalence figures for Parkinsonism were found to be 800 per 100,000. Parkinsonism includes some other disorders. So the Albanian figure for only Parkinson's Disease would be lower, but still far higher than any other country. The prevalence of neurological disorders in Albania was found to be high generally.
The world's next highest prevalence of Parkinson's Disease is in the vicinities of ferromanganese plants near Brescia in Italy, with 407 people per 100,000 population. Manganese concentrations in settled dust were found to be significantly higher in the surroundings and downwind from the ferromanganese plants. In high concentrations, manganese is a known cause of Parkinson's Disease.
Native Americans, including American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have a prevalence rate of 355 per 100,000, which is well beyond that of the general population. The highest prevalence rate of any region of North America is Nebraska, in the U.S.A. with 329.3 people per 100,000 population having Parkinson's Disease. It is possible that the very high number in Nebraska is due to the heavy use of insecticides in what is largely a farming area.
The Parsi community of Mumbai, India have a prevalence of Parkinson's Disease of 328.3 per 100,000 population, which is almost in excess of that found in Nebraska. This is despite India as a whole having a low prevalence. The Parsi practice Zoroastrianism, a religion based on the teachings of Zoroaster. As part of their religion, the Parsis burn Aspand seeds to rid their children of the Evil Eye, which is the name for a sickness transmitted by someone who is envious, jealous, or covetous. The fumes are often inhaled. Aspand seed is the richest natural source of two alkaloids, harmine and harmaline. They are a type of drug known as MAO Inhibitors, which are also used in Parkinson's Disease. Long term use of MAO inhibitors, eventually has the opposite effect, and so may cause the high prevalence of Parkinson's Disease amongst the Parsi.
WORLD'S LOWEST PREVALENCE
Ethiopia has the world's lowest recorded prevalence of Parkinson's Disease. At a rate of only 7 per 100,000 it is far below the world's highest prevalence rate of 329 per 100,000 in Nebraska, U.S.A.. As Parkinson's Disease tends to be more common in older people, the very low prevalence in Ethiopia may result from the very low life expectancy in Ethiopia. Few prevalence studies have been carried out in African countries. For most African countries the figures are not known. If they were, other countries in the same region as Ethiopia, or even in other parts of Africa may produce even lower prevalence figures than those of Ethiopia.
PREVALENCE BY COUNTRY
The prevalence for each country per 100,000 of population, in those countries in which it is known, from highest to lowest is :
Albania 800,
Egypt 557,
U.S.A. 329-107,
Canada 317-167,
Israel 256,
Japan 193 - 76,
San Marino 185,
Faeroe Islands 206-183,
Japan 192 - 76,
Germany 183,
Spain 170-122,
Italy 168-104,
Finland 166-120,
Bulgaria 164-137,
Estonia 152,
Australia 146-104,
Wales 142,
England 139-121,
Portugal 135,
Cuba 135,
Canada 125,
China 119-57,
Scotland 129,
Norway 102, T
Thailand 95,
Sweden 76,
New Zealand 76,
Nigeria 67,
Poland 66,
Jordan 59,
Bolivia 50,
Libya 31,
Colombia 31,
Tanzania 20,
Korea 19,
Ethiopia 7.
The prevalence differs from country to country and can even differ within countries.
The prevalence amongst Bulgarian Gypsies is only one tenth of that found amongst other Bulgarians.
The prevalence in the U.S.A. tends to differ according to race, with Hispanics, then Whites, then Asians, then Blacks being more prone.
*********NOTE from Gymbag, other studies have given different results.
it says people with red hair are more prone which really surprizes me because I have been told that the genetic connection is very weak.
Here is the website
clubpd.com/content/global-p...
Thank you for sharing. Very enlightening.
Further to my post. I have been watching these ratios change over the years. I cant remember a ratio ever decreasing (Less Parkies ) the number in a country per 1000 people always seem to go up. The reason I believe is because the poorer countries health care is improving and more PD diagnoses are being made. There is not as of yet to my knowledge any large genetic factor that has been identified except in early onset and yet look at the top ten
Albania 800, ***** this does not make sense
Egypt 557, ******* is it diet / food , sunshine, chemicals,stress
U.S.A. 329-107,
Canada 317-167,
Israel 256, ****** what makes these countries differant
Japan 193 - 76,
San Marino 185,
Faeroe Islands 206-183,
Japan 192 - 76,
Germany 183,
See below for a reply to you.
In Israel I would posit that it is the high prevalence of PD amongst Ashkenazi Jews and a small population. Since there is also a high prevalence amongst certain Arab Bedouins, perhaps Albania and that part of Egypt also have populations that have kept close within when it comes to reproducing.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/249...
. Meta-analysis of the worldwide data showed a rising prevalence of PD with age (all per 100,000):
41 in 40 to 49 years;
107 in 50 to 59 years;
173 in 55 to 64 years;
428 in 60 to 69 years;
425 in 65 to 74 years;
1087 in 70 to 79 years; and
1903 in older than age 80.
A significant difference was seen in prevalence by geographic location only for individuals 70 to 79 years old, with a prevalence of 1,601 in individuals from North America, Europe, and Australia, compared with 646 in individuals from Asia (P < 0.05).
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). PD prevalence increases steadily with age.
Some differences in prevalence by geographic location and sex can be detected.
Approximately 15 percent of people with Parkinson disease have a family history of this disorder. Familial cases of Parkinson disease can be caused by mutations in the LRRK2, PARK7, PINK1, PRKN, or SNCA gene, or by alterations in genes that have not been identified. Mutations in some of these genes may also play a role in cases that appear to be sporadic (not inherited).
Alterations in certain genes, including GBA and UCHL1, do not cause Parkinson disease but appear to modify the risk of developing the condition in some families. Variations in other genes that have not been identified probably also contribute to Parkinson disease risk.
