Nearly 26,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease were diagnosed in 2020, in particular due to the aging of the population, according to the new report published by Santé Publique France.
- 25,820 new cases of Parkinson’s disease were diagnosed in 2020 in France. This represents 38 new cases per 100,000 individuals per year.
- The numbers of cases and new cases increase continuously with age. The peak is between 85 and 89 years.
- There are geographic disparities in the incidence of Parkinson’s disease. However, they do not have an obvious explanation at the moment.
Public Health France took advantage of World Parkinson’s Day to detail the latest data collected on the second neurodegenerative pathology after Alzheimer’s.
177,624 people were treated for Parkinson’s disease in France in 2020 according to the report published on April 11, 2023. This represents approximately 1 in 380 individuals.
Parkinson’s: an increase in cases linked to the aging of the population
Health authorities have counted 25,820 people who were newly treated for Parkinson’s disease in 2020, or 38 new cases per 100,000 individuals per year.
“The number of cases and new cases increases continuously with age between 45 and 80 before reaching a peak between 85 and 89, then decreases. They are higher in men, regardless of age, and reverse beyond the age of 85. Among all patients, 15% are under the age of 65”, specifies Public Health France. This increase over the years had already been observed in the previous report using the 2010-2015 data. For health professionals, it could be linked to the aging of the population.
7.6% of patients with Parkinson’s disease died in 2020. The rate was 6.3% a year earlier. This represents an increase of 21%. “This increase may be explained by greater mortality related to the Covid-19 pandemic among patients with Parkinson’s disease, limiting the expected increase in prevalence forecasts”adds the new report.
Regional disparities to be explained
Guyana has the highest incidence rate in France with 0.74 cases of Parkinson’s disease per 1,000 inhabitants. It is followed by Indre (0.63), Bouches-du-Rhône (0.52) and Vienne (0.50). These departments show “higher frequencies than the rest of the territory”. Indeed, their incidence is significant compared to the national median which is 0.38 per 1,000 inhabitants.
“Given the multifactorial etiology of Parkinson’s disease, these geographic disparities have no obvious explanation”, acknowledges Public Health France. Further studies would be needed to understand this phenomenon.
