Objective: To understand the association of DM with risk of PD in our database.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic metabolic disease in Singapore, occurring along

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. Emerging studies suggest that

metabolic dysfunction may contribute to neurodegeneration, although the relationship between PD

and DM remains uncertain. This cross-sectional analysis aims to examine the association between PD

and DM from our ongoing database of patients seen at our clinic from 2010 to 2020.

Method: Patients seen at our Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders Centre (PDMD) clinic were

recruited into the database. Demographics, diagnoses, and co-morbidities were recorded up to the

time of data entry. Data for patients seen between 2010 to 2020 were retrieved and analysed for

this study. Patients with other forms of parkinsonism (e.g., atypical parkinsonism, multiple system

atrophy) were excluded from the analysis. Differences in the prevalences of DM between PD and

non-PD patients were assessed using the chi-square test. Logistic regression was performed to

evaluate the association of PD and DM, with adjustment for age and sex.

Results: In 2010 to 2020, 4922 unique patients were seen and captured into the PDMD clinic database where

2366 had Parkinson’s disease and 2556 had other forms of MD apart from PD and Parkinsonism. The

prevalence of DM was significantly higher in PD patients than in non-PD patients (20.9% vs 10.1%, ꭓ 2

= 111.16, df = 1, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that PD was significantly associated

with higher odds of DM (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.35 – 1.90, p < 0.001), after adjustment for age and sex.

Increasing age was also associated with higher odds of DM (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04 – 1.05, p < 0.001)

while sex was not significantly associated with DM (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74 – 1.02, p = 0.077).

Conclusion: Our databases provide valuable insight into understanding the characteristics and comorbidity

pattern in the PDMD clinic. These findings suggest that Parkinson’s disease was associated with

higher odds of diabetes development. This highlights the importance of DM screening and

monitoring in PD patients. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to establish the

temporal relationship between these conditions and determine whether diabetes influences the

development or progression of PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-between-parkinsons-disease-and-diabetes-mellitus/