Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Parkinson's Disease

Alexandra Zirra; Shilpa C Rao; Jonathan Bestwick; Rajasumi Rajalingam; Connie Marras; Cornelis Blauwendraat; Ignacio F Mata; Alastair J Noyce

doi:10.1002/mdc3.13584

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Parkinson's Disease

Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2022 Nov 14;10(1):86-93. doi: 10.1002/mdc3.13584. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Alexandra Zirra¹, Shilpa C Rao^{2

3}, Jonathan Bestwick¹, Rajasumi Rajalingam⁴, Connie Marras⁴, Cornelis Blauwendraat⁵, Ignacio F Mata^{2

3}, Alastair J Noyce^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Preventive Neurology Unit Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London London United Kingdom.
² Genomic Medicine Institute Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland Ohio USA.
³ Department of Molecular Medicine Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Ohio USA.
⁴ University Health Network University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.
⁵ Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Aging National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland USA.
⁶ Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences UCL Institute of Neurology London United Kingdom.

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) affects males more than females. The reasons for the gender differences in PD prevalence remain unclear.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to update the overall male/female prevalence ratios (OPR).

Methods: We updated previous work by searching MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and OVID for articles reporting PD prevalence for both genders between 2011 and 2021. We calculated OPRs and investigated heterogeneity in effect estimates.

Results: We included 19 new articles and 13 articles from a previously published meta-analysis. The OPR was 1.18, 95% CI, [1.03, 1.36]. The OPR was lowest in Asia and appeared to be decreasing over time. Study design, national wealth, and participant age did not explain OPR heterogeneity.

Conclusion: Gender differences in PD prevalence may not be as stark as previously thought. Studies are needed to understand the role of other determinants of gender differences in PD prevalence.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; gender differences.; meta‐analysis; prevalence; systematic review.