Objective: To assess the prevalence of Essential Tremor (ET) in elderly individuals from Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Background: ET is one of the most frequently encountered movement disorders in clinical practice. It is classified as a syndrome of isolated action tremor in the upper limbs, lasting at least three years without other associated neurological signs. Its prevalence is higher in the elderly, especially those over 60 years of age. ET can lead to balance problems, falls, and changes in mood and cognition, impacting quality of life

Method: This was a cross-sectional, epidemiological, population-based study with a door-to-door approach, conducted in two phases. Individuals aged ≥60 years were recruited, and clinical and sociodemographic data were collected from 3,475 elderly individuals via telephone contact. The screening was conducted using Tanner’s Questionnaire to identify potential cases of parkinsonism or complaints of tremors. Those who screened positive—either by answering positively to question 7 regarding tremors or providing two or more positive responses in the questionnaire—were invited for a clinical evaluation by a neurologist specializing in movement disorders to confirm.

Results: Eighty elderly individuals were identified with ET. The mean age of the sample was 74.5±7.4 years and 55% were female. The crude prevalence was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.81–2.82), with no significant differences between sexes. Prevalence tended to increase with age, reaching 3.43% in the 70–79 year age group. A significant difference was observed between age groups in the total sample (p = 0.028) and among males (p = 0.020), with the prevalence in individuals aged 70–79 years being significantly higher than in those aged 60–69 years. However, this prevalence tends to decrease in both sexes after the eighth decade of life [Table 1].

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the prevalence of ET in Southern Brazil is lower than that reported in a similar study in another region of Brazil. However, this is consistent with findings from other studies globally involving elderly populations, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate management of the disorder to improve the quality of life of patients.

Table 1

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-essential-tremor-in-elderly-people-in-southern-brazil/