Category: Epidemiology
Objective: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of parkinsonism and Parkinson Disease in elderly individuals from Latin America.
Background: Parkinson’ s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and carries a significant global impact on PD. Most of the studies on PD prevalence have been conducted in High-Income countries (HIC), with few epidemiological studies in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Therefore, determining PD prevalence and risk factors is particularly relevant for public health planning in LMIC.
Method: The present study utilized data from community-dwelling participants aged 65 years and over enrolled in the 10/66 population study. Data from 11,614 adults who lived in six Latin American countries: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru, and Mexico were analyzed to estimate parkinsonism and PD prevalence. Crude and age-adjusted prevalence of parkinsonism and PD were determined by age group, sex, rural vs urban, and country. Diagnosis of PD was established using the UK Parkinson’s Disease Society Brain Bank’s clinical criteria.
Results: Among a population cohort 65 years or older from six countries in Latin America (LatAm), the prevalence of parkinsonism was 8.0% (95% CI, 7.6% – 8.5%). The highest prevalence of parkinsonism was observed in the Dominican Republic 10.9% (95% CI, 9.6%-12.4%), while the lowest was reported in Cuba 6.3 % (95% CI, 5.5% – 7.3%]). The prevalence of PD (all countries combined) was 2.0 % (95% CI, 1.7%-2.3%). PD prevalence increased with age from 1.0 to 3.5 (65-69 vs 80 years or older, p<0.001). The men/women prevalence ratio for PD was 1.1. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were lower for women than they were for men. No significant differences were found across countries, except for lower prevalence in urban areas of Peru (1.2). PD was positively associated with Depression (aPR 2.06, 95% CI 1.40-3.01, I2=56.0%), dementia (aPR 1.57, 95% CI 1.07- 2.32, I2=0.0%) and educational level (aPR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00- 1.29, I2=58.6%).
Conclusion: The reported prevalence of PD in our study is similar to the one in HIC. A significant proportion of cases with PD did not have a previous diagnosis or nor did they seek any medical attention neurological attention. These findings underscore the need to improve public health programs for populations that are currently undergoing rapid demographic aging and epidemiological transition.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J. Llibre-Guerra, M. Prina, A. Sosa, D. Acosta, I. Jimenez-Velasquez, M. Guerra, A. Salas, A. Rodriguez-Salgado, J. Llibre-Guerra, G. Peters, I. Acosta, J. Juncos, J. Llibre-Rodriguez. Prevalence of Parkinsonism and Parkinson Disease in urban and rural populations in Latin America. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-parkinsonism-and-parkinson-disease-in-urban-and-rural-populations-in-latin-america/. Accessed October 16, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-parkinsonism-and-parkinson-disease-in-urban-and-rural-populations-in-latin-america/