Parkinson disease survival: a population-based study

Objective: To evaluate whether the survival of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is shorter than that of the general population. Design: Survival was investigated in a cohort of patients with PD previously identified during a population-based prevalence study (prevalence day, November 1, 1987; reference follow-up date, October 31, 1995). The survival of patients with PD was compared with that of a control sample randomly selected from the same population (2 controls for each case, matched for age, sex, and study municipality). The causes of death in the 2 groups were also compared. Both univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to investigate the association with disease-related variables. Setting: A door-to-door 2-phase prevalence survey performed in 3 Sicilian municipalities. Patients: Fifty-nine patients with PD and 118 controls. Results: Patients with PD showed a high risk of death (relative risk, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.60-3.39). Greater age at November 1, 1987, high Hoehn-Yahr score, and lack of levodopa therapy were associated with a lower survival on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association between shorter survival among patients with PD and greater age on November 1, 1987. One-way analysis of variance indicated a different effect of levodopa therapy according to age. Multivariate analysis did not confirm this finding. Pneumonia was the cause of death most frequently associated with PD. Conclusion: This study indicates that patients with PD have a shorter survival time than the general population.